


Yandere Mystic Messenger/Reader Inserts

by UsernameOK



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Romance, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 06:10:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12126246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsernameOK/pseuds/UsernameOK
Summary: Taken from my yandere series; I'm compiling all the ones from Mystic Messenger into one category. Spoilers warning!





	1. 707 Pt. 1

**Author's Note: Spoilers for 707 backstory and name, so be careful!**   
  
  


**MC has entered the chat room**

**Zen has entered the chat room**

**Yoosung has entered the chat room**

**MC:** Good morning everybody.

 **Yoosung:** How are you feeling!?

 **Zen:** I wish Seven would tell us any news on the hacker situation.

 **Zen:** I hate just sitting around, waiting on whether this guy will hurt our princess~ ;)

 **Yoosung:** Is this really the time to be flirting….? -_-

 **MC:** It’s okay.

 **MC:** I feel better, but I’m still kind of scared...

**Jumin** **Han has entered the chat room**

**Jaehee Kang has entered the chat room**

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, I already contacted your security team and they should be at Rika’s apartment shortly.

 **Jumin Han:** Good.

 **Jumin Han:** They will make her safety a top priority.

 **Zen:** I don’t feel good about accepting your help, but at least everyone should be safe.

 **Yoosung:** Heheh, I feel like I’m a secret agent or something having all these body guards around! X3

 **Yoosung:** Sorry, I wish I could go over to Rika’s apartment to protect you.

 **Yoosung:** Me and Zen can’t really do anything in our position, except pray for your well being…

 **Zen:** And sending you comforting pictures of yours truly~ <3

 **Jumin Han:** How 'useful'.  
  
 **Zen:** Hmph, jealous?

 **Jumin Han:** Meow, no, meow. :3

 **Zen:** >:( Dammit you arrogant ass, stop with the cat crap!!!

 **Jaehee Kang:** Could we please keep our main objective in sight? MC, is there anything else you need?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I wish I could come over there. I feel quite uneasy with you being there alone, even if it's just for a short while...

 **Yoosung:** ikr!?

 **Yoosung:** :’( MC, please let us know if anything happens?!

 **Zen:** Even if it’s just to chat, contact me anytime and your gallant prince will rush over and protect you! :D

 **Jumin Han:** My security team is already there should any problems arise.

 **Jumin Han:** But yes, feel free to call one of us and keep everyone updated.

You stared at the screen for some time; to think you had only known these people for a few days, and they were being so kind. It gave you immense joy to see each of them worried for you and wanting to help, you could hardly believe it.

 _“They’re all so different, but each one of them has been so considerate towards me.”_ You smiled slowly despite your anxiety at the situation.

**707 has entered the chat room**

**MC:** Thank you so much everyone.

 **MC:** I feel so grateful that you’re thinking of me.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Oh….of course we’re worried...

 **Zen:** You’re our princess, and we’re all a family here!

 **Yoosung:** You’ve done so much to help bring back the parties, and you’re so nice. :)

 **Yoosung:** I’m just sorry we can’t fix the problem right away…

 **Jumin Han:** There’s really no need to thank us…

 **Jumin Han:** But I think I have been able to provide the most help.

 **Jumin Han:** You’re welcome. :3

 **Zen:** Attention hog much? =-=

 **Jumin Han:** Says the one taking pictures of themselves constantly.

 **Zen:** Hey, if you looked like a gift from God-oh wait, that’s impossible. :)

 **Jumin Han:** =^o ^=   **Meow**.

 **Zen:** ARRRGHHHH!!!

 _“They’re so_ -haha!” You giggled to yourself as you held the phone closer to make sure you had seen Jumin’s last message right.

 **707:** HEEEEYYY!!! How's everybody doin' this morning!?

 **707:** Unfortunately, the hacker problem hasn’t been quite solved… :’[

 **707:** But SEVEN ZERO SEVEN DEFENDER OF JUSTICE~

 **707:** Is on the case. :3

You sighed lightly. _“Oh boy, he’s at it again.”_

 **MC:** Seven, could you please take this more seriously?

 **MC:** I’m still not really over an actual bomb being planted in here on top of everything else. :/

 **707:** lololol, sorry MC, I’m on a teeny tiny little caffeine high! asdfklf384$%^Y8[‘’`w,2 <3.

 **707:** I was up all night tracing back the signal….

 **707:** I need an angel's blessing, and a kiss to wake me up! ;#

 **707:** Or just a kiss~  <3

 _“Really, now of all times he has to joke around?!”_ You asked incredulously and brought a hand to your forehead; and to think he was the one out of everyone in the RFA who would be coming to stay in the apartment to keep watch over you. Even if he could control the system, his demeanor did nothing to make you feel secure.

 **MC:** Even with Jumin’s guards here to ward off the hacker, the bomb could go off at any time.

 **MC:** I’m in danger thanks to you and V.

 **MC:** I don’t regret joining the RFA, but please, could you not make this into one big joke?!

 **707:** Srry…

 **707:** Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, secret agent man is on the case!

 **707:** byebye~

**707 has left the chat room**

**Jumin Han:** Don’t be too hard on him, Luciel means well.

 **Jumin Han:** I know it may not seem that way, but he’s doing everything he can to help.

 **MC:** I know...but I can’t help feel like he couldn’t care less about what happens, like it's just a game or a puzzle he wants to solve...

 **MC:** Maybe it’s just me, but I can never tell what he’s really thinking.

 **Zen:** Who can? -__-

 **Yoosung:** I still have my doubts...but I’m sure Seven will catch the hacker before he sets the bomb off!

 **Yoosung:** And we’ll all do whatever we can to make you feel safer until then. ^-^

 **Jaehee Kang:** : ) Exactly. Luciel tends to goof off more than I’d like...but he is capable and he’s the only one who can make this problem end.

 **Jaehee Kang:** MC, I know things have gotten dangerous, but please, have faith in us.

 **MC:** Okay. I will.

 **Jaehee Kang:** ^-^ Then I’ll send you a some more guests info for the party.

 **Jumin Han:** I’ll make sure the place and catering is all in order.

 **Jumin Han:** Whether the hacker is found, if we can still have this party, we should do our best.

 **Yoosung:** YAY! XD So excited!

 **Zen:** I’ll try to get in touch with some more potential guests from my agency; I need to leave for work soon...

 **Yoosung:** Same, I got school…. :P

 **Yoosung:** Wish me luck on my exam!

 **MC:** Good luck!

 **Yoosung:** I’ll do great knowing you’re cheering me on! :) L8tr!

**Yoosung has left the chat room**

**Zen:** I gotta leave for rehearsals, but if you feel lonely or frightened, call me and I’ll race there!

 **MC:** Lol, don’t worry too much.

 **Zen:** Aw, don’t be like that! Sound sadder that I can’t come see you!

 **Jumin Han:** Cringe.

 **Zen:** Don’t listen to him MC, just let me know if you’re in trouble.

 **MC:** I appreciate it, just focus on work and do your best!

 **Zen:** ;) <3 <3 <3

**Zen has left the chat room**

**Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang, don’t forget to email me the proposal for the new line of cat sweaters.

 **Jaehee Kang:** ^-^` Right away Mr. Han…

 **Jaehee Kang:** MC, stay safe and don’t leave your apartment. Keep sending out invitations and trust us to take care of the rest.

**Jaehee Kang has left the chat room**

**Jumin Han:** I’m glad everyone’s remaining calm. I need to go back to the office as well.

 **Jumin Han:** Contact me if anything comes up. I’ll keep trying to get a hold of V. Be careful and be on your guard.

 **MC:** Alright. Have a good day at work!

 **Jumin Han:** Thank you..

**Jumin Han has left the chat room**

_“Why…?”_

Saeyoung stared at the empty chat room for a few moments before closing the window.

 _“Why does she always choose them over me?”_ he smiled bitterly at his face looking back at him in the blank screen. _“I guess it’s what I deserve, right? I don’t want her to get close to me, so it’s better if I annoy her.”_

Saeyoung leaned back into his chair, face turned up at the ceiling; he could find no answer to his dilemma in the slightly chipped paint.

_“....why does it hurt so much…?”_


	2. 707 Pt. 2

“Hey, I’m here.” Saeyoung greeted as soon as you opened your door. “Jumin put so many scary dudes around the place…”

“Oh, come in, um,” You hesitated as Saeyoung walked right in and began setting up his equipment in one corner of the room. “What do you want me to call you? Seven or Luciel?”

“Either one if you wish my lady.” Saeyoung winked as he hooked up his computer; despite the teasing wink, his overall expression was bland. You watched as he rummaged through his duffel bag and pulled out a tangle of cables. “Hope there’s enough sockets...how have you been?”

“I’m doing better. Everyone’s been so nice, I hope we can still have the party this week.” You sat back in your chair in front of the computer; Saeyoung noticed almost everything Rika had in the apartment had been left untouched and in their proper place. The only hint that you lived there was a few personal items here and there, like clothes or photographs. He scanned them briefly wondering how it would feel if his picture was placed so meticulously in a spot right in front of your line of vision.

 _“I can’t think like that dammit.”_ Saeyoung settled into place as a couple of the body guards came in carrying a few more boxes. You looked at one quizzically as he began stocking your fridge with Ph.D Pepper.

 _“How long is he planning on staying? This feels a bit awkward...especially since I was so harsh with him earlier.”_ You watched as Saeyoung became glued to his computer, typing in letters and numbers among other things that you doubted even someone as intelligent as Jaehee or Jumin could decipher.

“Seven, what is all of that?”

“Classified.” he replied absently and popped a chip into his mouth.

“Okay...well, thanks for coming by, I hope you’re comfortable.”

“I’m good, just don’t make too much noise. I need to focus.”

“Okay.” You turned around back to your own computer feeling a bit miffed; you didn’t know where this abrupt attitude was coming from, but it was irritating how the person who basically barged into your place was being a bit rude. _“Honestly, I’m more weirded out than anything. He doesn’t seem much like the Seven in the chat room.”_

Saeyoung caught a glimpse of your frown and felt like banging his forehead on the desk’s surface in frustration. “ _Great, just great. Yeah, be a jerk, that will win her over._ ” he typed faster, almost losing his train of thought. _“Wait, wait, don’t think about that stupid! I’m just supposed to find the hacker and keep her safe, nothing else. When this is all over we can have the RFA party and meet each other and when that’s done with I’ll go back home and-”_

And what? Go back to live in solitude and be buried with work and trapped his false identity?

Saeyoung’s fingers slowed a fraction as the thought became more feasible in his mind; that’s exactly what would happen, but if he was really lucky, you might thank him as sincerely as you had to the rest of the members.

 _“That wouldn’t be so bad. I’ll really be 707, defender of justice, at least to her.”_ Saeyoung looked over to make sure you couldn’t see and let himself smile at the thought. _“If I do this, she’ll be safe. She’ll be so happy, maybe she’ll even want to have me over again. We could sit near each other and do our work and talk a bit and after we get to know each other better, maybe she’ll even-”_

You turned around swiftly at the loud coughing. “Are you okay?!”

Saeyoung put his soda can down and nodded. “Y-yeah, drank too fast.”

“Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine, just let me focus.”

You nodded and left him to his business.

 _“That won’t happen...it can’t happen.”_ Saeyoung wished more than anything he could believe his own lies and facade. If only he really was just 707, eccentric and carefree hacker. If only he was just this intangible, larger than life personality that did whatever they pleased without connections to the real world. He thought he had accomplished that years ago, even if he felt camaraderie for the other RFA members, even if he was getting accustomed to his way of life. Leave it up to fate to throw him a curveball.

“Seven, I’m going to make dinner.”

“Kay.”

“You’re different than what I expected.” You commented absently as you pulled food from the fridge, maneuvering around the cans of Ph.D Pepper to get your groceries out.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You told him. “Do you mind fried rice and beef?”

“Sounds good.”

“Okey dokey.” You raised an eyebrow. “Why’d you put your hood up? Are your ears cold?”

“Just felt like it.” Saeyoung prayed to God you wouldn’t come closer and see his flushed face. “ _Face, neck, ears….is it true the stomach turns red too? Shit, shit, shit, this is bad.”_

“I can turn up the heater if you do get cold. Do you like peas and carrots in your rice?”

“I’m fine. I’ll just eat whatever.”

_“Thank you God. She’s cooking me dinner. I’m in her house and she’s cooking me dinner and she must think I’m a jackass by now. Damn you God.”_

“All done!” You chirped as you added a little bit more spice to the beef; Saeyoung didn’t take his eyes off the screen as you set a plate next to his computer.

“Thanks.”

“Do you want another soda?”

“I got it.” Saeyoung held out his half full can with a toneless inflection to his voice, one he had practiced before coming to the apartment until he was sure you would dismiss him as a strange, antisocial hermit who you shouldn’t waste breath on even trying to get close to.

“Seven, am I bugging you? If you need to be alone to concentrate, I can just go out for a bit. We’re almost out of a few things actually, so I can take one of the security guards to the convenience store.” You slipped on your shoes and shrugged on a light jacket as the clickoing of keys stopped. “Do you think they’ll mind helping me carry things? I know they’re just supposed to keep the hacker away, but I don’t think they’ll mind stretching their legs either. I’ll pick you up whatever you need-”

“Stop it! Just stop it, will you? Goddammit.” Saeyoung stomped over to you and yanked your jacket off your shoulders. “You’re not supposed to go out. Get one of those guys to do the shopping for you and just stay here. And stop talking!”

“Well it’s obvious you need some space; if I can’t even make a sound in my own place, then I’d rather just leave you to it.” You glared up at him impatiently. _“First he plays up everything like it’s one big joke and now he’s ordering me around and acting like I’m a bother. Where does he get off!? What’s going on with him…?”_

“I’m not saying you have to be completely silent, you just have to stop talking to me and asking me questions and bringing me stuff and-and-”

Saeyoung stared down at you for a moment before his shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily.

“Seven, what’s wrong? I feel like there’s something more going on with you and not just this hacker and bomb business.” You looked into his eyes searching for any sign of acknowledgement. “Zen said it himself, we’re all family right?”

“That’s just it; I lost my only family a long time ago.” Saeyoung ran a hand over his face and took a shaky breath. “Shit...maybe that’s how you feel for them, but it’s not like that for me, right? Well, it doesn’t matter. I said it before, I’m not someone you want to get too close to.”

“I thought you were joking…I do like you Seven.”

“No.” Saeyoung shook his head, both to dismiss the notion and to clear his mind. “I meant it. I still do...I shouldn’t even be here, you have the security guards and I could do this from my place.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“I wanted to.”

You blinked. “Seven, you’re not making sense...you want me to keep away but you want to see me? You joke around and talk to me all the time in the chatroom but now that you’re here, it’s like you want to be anywhere else but here.”

“I...you wouldn’t understand. I apologize for being so contradictory…” Saeyoung backed away from you. “I don’t want you or any of the RFA members involved in my mess. I just want to get this hacker thing sorted out and leave.”

“Look, I don’t know what else is going on, but that doesn’t change the fact I do care about you, even if your jokes get on my nerves now and then.” You told him with an apologetic smile. “I may need your protection from a hacker and a possibly exploding bomb, but as for my feelings, those are my own. I may not know you, but you don’t know me; don’t just assume to know the kind of person I am beforehand.” You stuck out your tongue at his bewildered expression. “And I thought God Seven was all knowing.”

“Ha….haha...hahaha!!!” Saeyung collapsed back on your bed and held his stomach; he was doubled over to hide his tears. “You’re stranger than me!”

“Gee thanks…”

“You-haha-you’re so damn nice! How was I supposed to know you’d be so sweet anyway? Maybe just this once I can-” Saeyoung stopped; you had crouched down and were peering up at him from the floor. “W-what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry. Look, things are already pretty dangerous you know; if they are, I’d like to get through all this with someone like you. I’d like to know the real Seven and be his friend if anything bad does happen.”

Saeyoung cocked his head to the side, his eyes never leaving yours; this has to be a trick...or a dream.

“If I can do that, I won’t have any regrets.” You stated. “Could we sit down together to eat for just a bit? Personal reasons aside, you do need to take it easy to work better.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…”

You shrugged. “We’re just talking. And if this place blows up, we’ll at least die sharing a good meal with friends.”

Saeyoung looked at you uneasily, his eyes still a bit guarded, but something in his demeanor was cracking; you decided to press on just a bit.

“Just this once, let’s be honest with each other; even if it’s something bad, I’ll listen.” You stood up and sat down next to him; he could feel your body centimeters away and it was distracting enough to make his head feel full of cotton. “I want to know you Seven, if you’ll let me.”

“Call me....Saeyoung.”


	3. 707 Pt. 3 Finale

“Saeyoung, did you eat my bag of Leis?” You asked; Saeyoung turned to you with a chip halfway out of his mouth. You gave him a dull look and listened at the slow crunching sounds as he swallowed the rest.

“Sorry, I like them a lot now.”

“I thought Honey Buddha was your favorite?” You took a bag and a can of soda with you to the bed, the little TV set Saeyoung had set up droning on the new station.

“I still love them, but Leis are good too.” Saeyoung said. “ _You eat them almost every day...I wonder if you taste like them all the time too?”_

“Okay, but don’t eat too many, I’m making us actual food in an hour.” You popped one of the crisps into your mouth and licked the salt off your lips. “I-what?”

Saeyoung tore his eyes from you. “Nothing. What are you making?”

“Anyway, I was thinking chinese food. You ever had lo mein with shrimp?”

“No, but I bet it’ll taste great if you make it.” Saeyoung made sure to keep his face turned away so you couldn’t see him smiling broadly at the thought of you making him dinner again. You always made sure he ate something good and he actually was feeling more energized from not consuming as many empty calories. And it was nice to have someone looking after him.

“Yoosung recommended it; he sent me a link of recipes he’s trying out to make for his mom when she comes over.” You laughed. “Isn’t that sweet? He told me Zen stopped by to try out a new recipe for miso soup and kept telling him to make healthier dishes with more veggies. I swear Zen’s acting more and more like a mom these days.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty conscious about other people’s health for a guy who only has beer and water in his fridge.”

“And smokes a lot. But it is nice to see him worry, even if he gets overbearing.”

“Yup.”

You took a sip of your soda and heard your phone ring. “Hello?”

“Hello, I hope this isn’t a bad time. V contacted me.”

You pressed the phone closer to your ear. “Seriously? What’d he say?”

Jumin sighed. “He wouldn’t give me the details but he said he found the organization that was targeting us.”

“What?! You’re kidding right?”

Saeyoung stopped typing and looked at you curiously; you mouthed ‘Jumin’ and his eyes narrowed in concentration.

“No, but here’s the good news. V was able to contact them directly and sort out the problem. Apparently they were trying to get into one of Rika’s parties in the past, but were denied an invitation.”

“They were?”

“Yes. Rika thought a religious group was a bit too controversial for the setting. They felt a bit...what's the word? Miffed?” Jumin rubbed his chin in thought. “Come to think of it, you said this ‘Unknown’ person mentioned something about religion, correct?”

“Yes he did. I thought it was strange, but I wouldn’t have imagined this.” You told him. “Are you sure everything’s okay now? We can go on with the party?”

“V said yes; you may think otherwise, but I trust him and his decisions. I’m sorry I can’t go into more detail….this must be frustrating for you, to have been thrown into this problem and barely given any information, yet we expect you to do so much.” Jumin’s stern tone sounded genuinely regretful.

“No, don’t apologize, you’ve done so much to help me. The security guards were really comforting to have and I feel happy knowing you all are thinking of me.”

“I never said...ahem, well you’re welcome. It’d be problematic if this party had to be cancelled last minute. So, I suppose I should really be thanking you.”

“I promise I’ll do my best.”

Jumin chuckled. “I do like your confidence. How is Luciel? He’s not being too….”

“He’s fine, it’s been great having him over.” You caught Saeyoung’s eye and made sure he knew you were smiling because of him. “Thanks again for the update, I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it too.”

“I must go back to work, but I’ll call the guards and tell them to leave. Then I look forward to seeing you at the party.”

“Me too, have a good day at work!” You hung up and opened your mouth to tell Saeyoung the news, but then your phone started ringing a different tune.

 _“Again?”_ Saeyoung frowned slightly.

“Hey Jaehee.”

“Hello, Mr. Han just told me the good news. I can’t believe the hacker was from some organization with a grudge. It’s like something from a soap opera…”

“Or maybe from one of Zen’s shows?” You giggled and Jaehee joined you after looking around a bit self consciously. “I’m really glad we’ll get to gave the party after all, I was getting worried for a bit.”

“How are you?”

“I’m good, Sae-Seven’s been keeping me company and working hard. I’m glad this is over, he needs a break.” you gave Saeyoung a pointed look and he smiled back softly. “How are you? Jumin’s not running you ragged is he?”

“He-yes Mr. Han, just a second.” Jaehee sighed in resignation. “He’s been going a bit easier on me lately, but his projects are still...anyway, I should get going. I’m excited to be able to talk to you face to face.”

“Same here, good luck!” You hung up and grinned. “Saeyoung, V handled the hacker!”

“I just read in the chat room….” Saeyoung scrolled down on his phone and nodded. “The details are sketchy to be sure, but that’s expected from good ol’ V.”

“I’m so relieved!” You sighed happily. “I know you still have your work for the agency, but I’m glad you have one less thing to do; I’m gonna get started on the noodles.” You paused in front of the stove and snapped your fingers. “You know what, I'll go get beef from the store; it’s a special night, we should treat ourselves.”

“Sounds good.”

“You know, I want to thank V for helping, but there’s no way for me to get a hold of him. The next time you hear from V, would you tell him thank you from me? Oh and his eyes are hurt too, I hope he’s okay.”

“I’ll go to the store.” Saeyoung stood up so fast his chair fell back onto the ground; he roughly picked it up and walked past you to the door. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your swooning session.”

“The heck does that mean?” You asked; Saeyoung hadn’t been this aloof since his first day staying with you. Right now it was much worse; everything about him, from his body language to his voice, screamed hostility. “Saeyoung, don’t shut me out again…”

He stopped and glared at you. “Why do you want to talk to me? Why don’t you go talk more about the party with Jumin and gush over how successful he is? I bet he’d love to talk to you during his lunch. Oh, or maybe you can call up Yoosung and talk about cooking and how good of a mommy’s boy he’s being? Why don’t you just get back on the fucking phone and call Jaehee to talk about how talented Zen is?! Better yet, why the hell don’t you just go over to Zen’s apartment right now and-!”

The second you raised your hand to snap him out of it, you regretted it. Saeyoung’s tone was getting increasingly erratic, you couldn’t even get a word in; the smack resonated in the tense silence. Saeyoung raised his hand halfway to his stinging cheek.

“Saeyoung...I’m so-”

“I’m sorry!” Saeyoung yanked you toward him, burying his face into the hollow of your shoulder. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I-!” Saeyoung clenched his watering eyes shut and held you tighter as his glasses slipped from his nose. “I don’t mean to be this way....”

“Saeyoung. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you….I was scared.”

“I scared you?” Saeyoung asked softly; you could feel his fingers actually digging into your top. “I...I just don’t like it. I feel like you always choose them over me. I know we’re all part of the RFA, but I need you more!”

You held him and stroked the back of his head as you waited for him to calm down.

“I just want them all to leave us alone. And V...why’d he have to go ruin it?!”

“V? What did he do?” You asked; at this point you couldn’t be anymore bewildered.

“I was supposed to save you! I was supposed to be your knight in shining armor and you’d-you would love me. You were counting on me to protect you and he ruined it. I was too slow." Saeyoung hiccuped and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve; he didn’t even feel embarrassed at this point, just crushing disappointment. He hadn’t felt this way since he had to leave Saeran; he felt like he was losing everything all over again. “All you ever talk about is parties, or you talk about one of them. You don’t even care about me, do you? I’m just annoying, freak 707; I bet you can’t wait for me to leave.”

“That’s not true.” You tried to keep your voice from faltering; he needed you to be strong, but you could hardly stand to watch him like this. “I do care about you, but it’s not like you can stay here forever right? Saeyoung?”

“I can though.” Saeyoung’s eyes were vacant as he pulled back to look at you. “The bomb…”

Your eyes grew wide. “Saeyoung, what are you-!?”

“If I activate it, we’ll be together forever. Nothing will ever stand in our way again!” Saeyoung said as he left you sitting on the ground to sit in front of his computer; his fingers flew over the keys as he typed. “I can set it off still you know. I’m the only one who knows how to deactivate it too. They’ll finally leave us alone!”

“You’ll kill us!” You ran over to him and yanked his hands away from the keyboard; instead of struggling, he just looked up at you demurely.

“Do you want to hold hands now?”  
“Okay, this is fucking insane. You can’t-Saeyoung, think about what you’re saying!”

He bit his lip. “I don’t want to be alone anymore. I-I have a deal we could make though.” he grasped your hands tightly and smiled. “If you let me live here with you, I won’t turn it on. I promise.”

“Saeyoung, you’re scaring me.” You whispered as he stood up. “Sae-ah!”

Saeyoung fell on the bed with you, smiling brightly. “We can even start a family of our own sometime. I’d make a good husband...I’ll work hard and from now on, I’ll be the one to keep you safe.”

You cringed as his lips tried to find yours; you kicked your legs and struggled to get your arms out of his hands. “Get off!”

“You’ve been so kind to me...everytime I look at you, I feel like God sent me an angel to make up for losing Saeran. He’s telling me, ‘it’s okay to be happy now’.” Saeyoung gently butted his forehead against yours; you blinked as you felt hot tears fall on your own cheeks from his. “I wanna stay with you. I don’t want to go back...d-don’t make me go back, please?”  
 _“If I do, you’re going to blow us up anyway.”_ Is what you stopped yourself from saying by literally biting your tongue; Saeyoung noticed and laughed.

“What is that face?! It’s so cute!” he kissed the tip of your nose and pulled you into his chest.

_“Oh god, I don’t even know what to say. He’s actually lost it. Saeyoung…”_

“Can you make my lo mein with extra broccoli? I love when you make cooked veggies, they taste the best!” The 707 side of Saeyoung was shining right in front of you, except now it made you uneasy and afraid.

_“I’m scared...I’m scared of what he’ll do to me…he might even kill me!”_

“Are you cold?” Saeyoung asked as you buried your frightened expression in his shoulder. “You know this place is a bit small, so I’ll probably have to rent a place across from here to fit my stuff, but I’m definitely staying in here.” Saeyoung gave you a squeeze. “You’re so cuddly honey! Now we can do this every day if we want…haha, I feel a bit embarrassed getting so emotional, but I also feel good...I know you’ll still love me.”

“Saeyoung...what’s going to happen?”

“What’s going to happen?! We’re going to live happily ever after of course.” Saeyoung looked almost shy. “I felt so lonely after meeting you, but that was because I didn’t have you; I can’t believe I was so scared to approach you and now you’re here…I feel like I’m myself for the first time in years. It’s all thanks to you, my cute honey!”

“And you won’t set off the bomb?”

“Of course not! I’m your defender of justice after all.” Saeyoung told you softly. “You do love me though, right?”

“...yes.”

“I’m your favorite, right?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll just stick by my side from now on, won’t you? You can still talk to the others, but for every word you tell them, you have to tell me-hmmmm….ten more!”

“Okay Saeyoung. I’m really tired, can we go to sleep for a bit and postpone dinner?”

Sayoung nodded and pulled the covers up to your chin. “You look like a burrito!”

You forced a smile as he looked at you expectantly.

“Hey...can I hold your hand until you fall asleep? I just want to be the last thing you think of.”

“Saeyoung,”

“Yes?”

“I’ll try my best to make you better.” You closed your eyes and felt your hand being squeezed tightly enough to bruise. “I won’t abandon you, not now.”

“T-thank you.” Saeyoung looked at you in wonder. “I’ll try my best to make you love me… thank you…”

He would never be lost again.


	4. Jumin Han Pt. 1

“Good evening Director Han.”

“Vice chairman, welcome.” Jumin shook the older man’s hand with a stiff bow. “Thank you for making it here tonight. I and the RFA are pleased you could attend.”

“Certainly, I’ve heard nothing but praise for these parties; what an event, I rarely get to go to these sort of things with my schedule, so it’s an especially joyful occasion for me.” the vice chairman chuckled pleasantly. “Who is this young lady? Is she the coordinator who spoke with me previously?”

“Yes, she’s the one who made all this possible.” Jumin said as he nodded to you; his eyes held a proud gleam as you stepped forward to bow politely to the man. “She is also my wife.”

“Oh my. Pardon me for saying so, but you’re just as lovely as the rumors say.”

“Rumors?” You asked timidly; Jumin stood a fraction closer to you and touched your elbow.

“You’ve made quite the impression Mrs. Han,” the vice president shook his head wearily. “I still remember there were the nasty pieces of gossip circulating in the media about Director Han, just shameful. But excuse me, I’m sure the last thing you wish to discuss is unsavory subjects.”

“It’s quite fine, we are past all that nonsense.” Jumin said easily as he led you and the vice president to a full table of other noteworthy businessmen. “Come join us, it’s about time for the caterers to have the food served. The wine we will be having should go perfectly with the main course.”

“I bet you picked it out yourself-hic-right?!” the wine owner chortled; despite drinks just being made available, his face was already flushed and he seemed to have a bit of trouble sitting straight in his chair. “You have impeccable taste Director!”

“Thank you, I hope this evening’s menu is to everyone’s liking.” Jumin pulled out your chair just as the staff arrived; each glass was filled and the plates of food were carefully set around the table.

“This all looks delicious!”

“And the ambiance is perfect.” another man said in slight awe. “I must say, the guests are quite a variety, but interesting. I wonder if I could use that-what was their name? Longcat, as a mascot for my company’s new line of cat food.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.” Jumin nodded. “Dear, do you need anything else?”

“No, I’m fine.” You smiled and took a sip of your wine, a bit of your lipstick staining the rim. “Oh…”

“Don’t give it a second thought.” Jumin said to you quietly so the other chatting men wouldn’t hear. “The color does compliment your skin so perfectly though…”

You blushed and took another sip.

“So, you’re really the one who coordinated this party?” an executive to your right asked curiously. “I’m amazed you got so many people to attend all on your own.”

“Thank you, but the other members helped; they were the ones who suggested the guests, I’m just the one who sent out the emails.” You laughed bashfully.

“But you write beautifully, and I was automatically convinced to come.”

“Same here.”

“I can’t remember the last time I went to such a party, you have a gift!” the vice chairman raised his glass to you. “Director Han, you’re a lucky man to have a wife with both beauty and charm, not to mention persuasive!”

“I’m aware.”

You stole discreet glances at Jumin has the night wore on; he had stopped eating some time ago and was having glass after glass of wine. To his credit, he didn’t seem drunk at all; the only tell was the light hint of pink high on his cheeks. The other men seemed to be following his lead unconsciously, but they didn’t have nearly as much composure.

“Haha! This was alotta fun!” one of the younger businessmen snorted, wine stained the bottom of his tie. “Mrs. Han, this is the third party I’ve been to and it never ceases to be a good time. H-how do you do it?”

“The members and I work together; I really haven’t done that much, and having Jumin with me made all the difference.” You held back a squeak as an arm snaked around your waist; Jumin didn’t stop his conversation with the vice chairman as he moved.

“To be young and in love~ What a great time for a drink!” the wine owner cheered.

“Yes, your wife is a lovely person Director. She reminds me of my second wife, god bless her soul.” the vice president said soberly despite his unfocused gaze as he turned to smile at you. “Charming, just charming…”

“Oh t-thank you.” You looked down at your lap; you still weren’t quite used to so much praise. “I’m happy everyone is enjoying themselves.”

Jumin set down his glass. “Unfortunately, we must be leaving. I have work to see to and I’m afraid my wife is tired. It’s been a busy time for her lately.”

Jumin led you to the door and draped his coat over your shoulders; before stepping outside, the vice president suddenly appeared, holding your purse.

“Thank you vice president!” You quickly took your bag with a grateful smile. “I completely forgot.”

“Of course my dear, it gave me the chance to say goodbye. It was wonderful talking with you.”

You bowed your head. “I’m glad you could make it, I’ll be sure to notify you when and where the next party will be held.”

“Of course, I look forward to seeing you again Mrs. Han.” the vice president took your hand and brushed the knuckle with his lips; he turned to Jumin with a wide smile. “Director, it was a pleasure talking with you again as well and I’m looking forward to hearing more about your newest project.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to help my wife with any accommodations you might like to suggest.”

You smiled up at Jumin as he put an arm around your shoulder and helped you down the stairs; despite his unhindered balance, you were grateful Driver Kim was taking you to and from the apartment complex. There was no way you’d let Jumin drive in the state he was in, even if he did seem sober enough.

The car ride was short, but you felt a bit uneasy; Jumin hadn’t said a word to you the whole way home, other than asking if you were feeling okay. When you replied you were, he just nodded and looked out the window with a blank expression.

“You don’t have any work to do, right? I think you should go to bed.” You said once the two of you were inside his apartment. Jumin staggered for a moment as he closed the door and his keys scraped the lock when he tried to turn them. You looked on in concern as he tossed them on the table and turned to you with a scrutinizing gaze. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t notice. Those men….they were all eyeing you like wolves. It was disgusting. How dare they covet another man’s wife so shamelessly...? Still, why did you have to engage them in conversation?” Jumin asked sternly.

“I’m the host, of course I’m going to talk with the guests!” You insisted. “Jumin, you’re drunk. You shouldn’t have drank so much wine and now it’s making you think oddly.”

“It was all I could do to not drag you away.”

He advanced forward and eventually backed you into the wall length window; you looked behind you a bit fearfully, but your attention turned back to your irritated husband once his hands were pressed on either side of your head. Jumin’s eyes were flitting between sharp and unfocused.

“The VP couldn’t keep his eyes off you….was it my fault? I knew the dress and the makeup I picked out were perfect, but I was foolish to think others wouldn’t notice.”

“Try to calm down, please. It’s not like I’m even interested-”

“Then why did you let him kiss your hand?” Jumin asked in a strained voice; up close you could see the flush on his cheeks was more pronounced and his breath smelled of merlot. “I’ve tried so hard to make you happy here, but it’s not enough for you. What more do you need from me? Don’t I call enough when I’m at work? Are you lonely?”

“….”

“Sometimes I wonder. Be honest, do you really love me or is it my money?” Jumin spat; you knew by now it was more than the wine that was making Jumin overreact. These thoughts must have been stewing in his mind all evening. “Those businessmen at the party are just as successful if not more so. Would you have left with one of them if I wasn’t there? I’ve seen it, women so greedy and conniving, all the money in the world is never enough. Please, tell me you’re not like that!”

Jumin sucked in a breath and lowered his hands to your shoulders. “You can’t be like that…”

“You should go rest. You’re not thinking straight. Of course I love you. You know that.”

“I’m sorry.” Jumin grabbed you; he lost his balance, sending you both tumbling to the floor in a heap, his arms never breaking their hold even as you yelped. You winced in pain at the impact and tried to get up, but stopped the second Jumin looked up at you; tears were slowly running down his cheeks and he hiccuped. You felt your heart cracking at his regretful gaze.

“I doubted you...I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight, I don’t even-can we just forget this happened?”

“It’s okay Jumin.” You said softly and placed your hands on either side of his face. “I understand.”

“You’re the only one who does...thank you, thank you for accepting me. I just get a little upset when I have to share you.” Jumin stroked your hair and helped you up. “You were enchanting tonight; forgive me, I know you didn’t like that kind of attention. Did they make you uncomfortable? We don’t have to invite them next time.”

“I’m fine Jumin, I’m more worried about you.” You confessed; your hand found his and you sighed.

“Is something else wrong?”

You smiled a bit at his urgent tone. “No, no, everything’s fine.”

“You always listen to me, so if there’s anything you’d like to discuss, I’m here.” Jumin kissed your forehead with a little relieved smile. “I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thank you Jumin. I really am grateful to have you look after me.”

The smile that stretched across Jumin’s face was the one thing that made you forget how sad you were, if only for a moment; to you, it was something precious, something to be cherished and protected. You wanted to make sure Jumin would always smile like that and he would never be hurt again, never be lonely ever again.

But it was only for a moment.

After half an hour you came back from taking a shower to see Jumin passed out dead drunk on your bed; he hadn’t even taken off his shoes. You wanted to push back his bangs, but didn’t want to risk waking him as you silently packed a small bag of belongings and a stash of savings; you didn’t look back as you rushed to the front door. You didn’t pause as you turned the handle and opened it with resolution; there was no going back.

The wailing alarm snapped you out of your fantasy and before you could run, the door automatically slammed shut and the lock clicked into place.


	5. Jumin Han Pt. 2 Finale

“Where were you going?”

You tensed and kept your hands folded in your lap as Jumin paced back and forth in front of you.

“Were you going to see someone?”

“No.”

Jumin stopped and sighed heavily. “But you were leaving.”

“...”

“I want the truth. Where were you going? I know you must have had a place in mind, you were all packed and ready to go.”

“I didn’t. I figured I’d just stay in a motel for a while.”

“A motel?” Jumin scoffed. “I can’t believe this….you want to get away from me so badly you’d stay in a dingy, most likely infested hovel.”

“I never said that.”

“You don’t need to. The fact that you attempted to leave me while I was passed out in the middle of the night made your intentions clear enough.”

You tried to steady your breathing as he began pacing back and forth, his legs stiff and his hands swinging with every step; you didn’t think he would physically harm you, but this was the first time in months you had tried to leave.

“Do I not give you enough attention?” Jumin asked finally. “Do I not provide you with everything you could ever need or want? Don’t I make you my first priority in everything I do?”

You stayed silent as he continued to walk back and forth, pausing after every question, but not bothering to give you the time to give him an answer. At this point you were certain he was just voicing his thoughts outloud.

Jumin fixed you with an unreadable stare. “Are you upset about earlier? I thought we were past that?”

“I am.”

“For God’s sake, explain yourself!” Even his commanding tone couldn’t disguise the quiet desperation Jumin was trying to contain.

“I don’t like being inside all day…”

“You’re not solely confined to this room. You can go anywhere you want in the complex; there’s stores, restaurants, a garden, you could live here for the rest of your life and never need to go outside. It’s exactly the same.”

You just stared at him as he waited.

_“What about the cameras you had placed throughout every floor? How about the fact that no matter where I am or what I do, I’ll never get a moment of privacy? Even our bedroom is on a monitor 24/7 because you’re scared I’ll somehow sneak another man past your guards that you keep stationed throughout the day; how about the fact you’ll personally return any dresses, accessories, or even food I buy because you don’t think it’s ‘good for me’ or it ‘doesn’t suit me’?”_

Logically speaking, this would be the best thing to tell him, but you decided against it.

“Darling...talk to me.”

You bent over and covered your face. “ _It’s no use….it’s hopeless, he’d never understand at this point. He won’t ever let me go…”_

“Darling?” Jumin fell to his knees in front of you and took your face in his hands. “Don’t cry...please, just tell me what’s wrong, whatever it is, I can take care of it.”

You brushed back your tears with your fingers as he stared up at you beseechingly; all you wanted to do was love him. Jumin deserved real love, but he didn’t know how to give it either; you kept trying to make compromises and found yourself losing increasingly more control because of it. You let him convince you to move in right away, to let him know where you were if you ever left the complex, and eventually he had made it so you hadn’t set foot outside without him accompanying you for over two years.

_“I just wanted to show you what real love was. To see you lonely hurt me. I wanted us to share our lives together, not have mine invaded. I never even thought it would get this bad, but I guess I’m partially to blame for enabling you, aren’t I dear?”_

He rarely directly ordered you to do anything; it was his suggestions, his insinuations, his loving, stern demands, but they’re weren’t to rule over you, no, they were to protect you and ensure your peace of mind. He was looking out for your best interest, had just wanted to take care of the most precious person in his world.

It was all for you.

“You just wanted some air, didn’t you? You didn’t pack much at all, so you must just be feeling cramped, is that it?”

With a stiff jerk of your head, Jumin softly smiled and tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear.

“If that’s the case, how about I take some of my sick days and we can go on a mini vacation? You know, we never really took a proper honeymoon….how about we go to Jeju Island?” Jumin gave the base of your neck a fleeting peck. “Some new scenery might do you some good, you’ve been looking so pale lately….I’ve been worried, are you really that restless?”

“I just need…” You looked at him like a lost child. “Jumin, I’m tired. I’m so tired.”

“I’ll book us a flight for the day after tomorrow; I should leave my project materials for Assistant Kang and then we’ll pack some essentials and be gone. This is good timing, we won’t have to plan another party for a while longer. You’ve worked so hard, you deserve a break.” Jumin told you as he rubbed your shoulders gently.

“Okay.”

“The resort will be so relaxing...how about we go and buy you a new bathing suit? I saw one earlier in the department store’s display case that would be perfect on you...or off you.”

You closed your eyes tightly as he kissed you, fighting to not push him away and run for your bedroom and barricade the door shut.

“Damn...you’re driving me insane…can you imagine us together on the beach? There’s all those other people, but doesn’t it still sound tempting?”

The worst part was that he seemed completely oblivious to your discomfort. It didn’t matter what you were feeling, as long as you didn’t actively reject him. As long as you went along with what he desired for you, as long as you conformed to his ideal and his boundaries, he was fine with you even being borderline unresponsive.

“We shouldn’t do this now when I’m still a bit inebriated. I’m sorry.” Jumin pressed his lips to your shoulder and hugged you tight.

“It’s fine, I’m really tired.”

Jumin picked you up effortlessly; you were a bit surprised. You felt so numb, you were sure it must’ve felt like carrying a dead body in the middle of rigor mortis; he carried you up the stairs without even breaking a sweat.

“Jumin, don’t I feel heavy?” You asked.

“No.” he answered. “If you were, I’d have more trouble, wouldn’t I? Hm, it wouldn’t matter, I’d still find a way to hold you up like this. There’s something so endearing about your position in my arms.”

_“And in your cage.”_


	6. V Pt. 1

**Author's Note: I almost forgot, this story takes place in Seven's route, so there's some spoilers! Enjoy, part 2 is coming soon!**

 

 

 

 

It was no surprise to V that as soon as he came to, he wasn’t able to properly see his surroundings; from what he could make out, the room was white. For a fleeting moment, he supposed he was dead. A shot to the heart normally did do that after all.

But no, that wasn’t the case. V wished he could feel a bit more relieved. His eyes gazed vacantly up at the ceiling, the sounds of a heart monitor growing clearer as his vision became somewhat clearer as he found purchase on the bed railing and tried to scoot up into a sitting position.

“Mr. Kim, please keep yourself relaxed, the IV might slip out.”

“My apologies. Where am I?”

“Seoul St. Mary’s. You’ve been unconscious for a couple of weeks about. Do you remember what happened to you before you came here?”

Saeran. His mistakes. Blood. Rika.

Rika.

“Yes…”

You looked away as tears pricked the corners of V’s eyes. “I...the doctor was able to take out the bullet. You were on death’s door, but you managed to pull out just when we thought you were done for. Your friends are real worried.”

V blinked away his tears and nodded. “How kind of them...but I don’t deserve their concern.”

You paused. “They’re very happy you’re here.”

V settled back in the bed, eyes closed; you offered a small smile. Thankfully he seemed calm; the trauma of such an event could cause some people to go insane.

You knew it was wrong, but you couldn’t help hearing what the patients visitors were saying in hushed voices. Right by the entrance to V’s room was a blonde boy was crying steadily with a conservative looking woman; a handsome man had his shoulder around her as his own eyes glistened with unshed tears. The most grave people were a young man with glasses who had his hand held by a uncertain looking girl and a much more professional looking gentleman who looked as worn as any of them despite the hard look in his somber eyes. They were an odd bunch if you had ever seen one, but they were all clearly worried as they spoke of a fragmented story about some other man who had pulled the trigger, a cultish group, a disturbed woman.

A woman he loved who was no longer with them.

“Please, try not to move or you might break the stitches.” You told V gently; he offered a weak but understanding smile. It was a miracle to you he could smile at all.

 _“What a strong person…”_ You felt guilty for eavesdropping; you knew you should have just stepped back. It was obvious the conversation wasn’t meant for just anyone to hear, but your curiosity and concern overcame manners and professionalism.

It wasn’t the first time he had come to the hospital after all; working as a medical assistant to his regular doctor, you could remember the day quite clearly when V, or Jihyun Kim, came into the office on his friend’s insistence. His manner was as calm and reasonable as it always was, but he was even more insistent that he wanted nothing to do with any sort of treatment to cure his quickly developing blindness.

At the time, you thought he must have been as insane as his lover; how could he knowingly stay with such a woman? Perhaps she was a good person in her heart of hearts, but to be with her in the untreated state she was in, to let himself be hurt and abused and treated in such a way?

Still, you knew it wasn’t your place to chime in. It wasn’t your place to push recommendation for treatment or to counsel him on his troubled relationship. So that day, you kept your mouth shut and he gave you a kind smile and a thank you on his way out; his friend didn’t even look at you, just stalked away after V, stewing in his own cold anger at his own friend’s compliance with his condition.

You never thought you would see him again.

The next day you came back to check on him during your rounds.

“Good morning-oh my god!”

You dropped your clipboard and reached out to catch him just before he fell to the ground; he was thinner now, visibly weaker, most likely due from only getting nutrients from a fluid dripping tube for nearly a month. That and no doubt the physical trauma he had just endured.

“Mr. Kim, you shouldn’t be trying to walk on your own for a bit.” You scolded gently as you half carried him back to his bed. “That bullet went dangerously near your spine. Your body is going to need therapy before you can just get up and go here and there.”

“My apologies…”

“Don’t apologize. Just be careful.”

V smiled and settled back down on the sheets. “If I lose the ability to walk...yes. I suppose I only have myself to blame.”

“Uh, no. The guy who shot you is to blame, not to mention that lady who was going to kill you anyway.”

“This is a result of my mistakes. You have no idea what-”

V’s cold tone was cut off as you slapped a hand on your knee.

“Look, I get it. You love her, that kid was your responsibility; I don’t blame you for feeling bad about it or feeling some guilt, god knows I might, but to punish yourself-do you think she would have wanted that? If that’s what you believe, you must not think she was that warm of a person, ‘cause only a total monster would think you deserve to be blind and crippled for trying to help the people you love and you must not care all that much about your friends if you think they want to see you doing this to yourself!”

You felt your insides twist and churn as V’s hands clenched the sheets, eyes pointedly avoiding looking in your direction.

“I-I’m so sorry. That was, that was too much. I’m really sorry Mr. Kim.”

“You had no right to say any of that.”

“Well...part of my job is to see to your well being. Mr. Kim, I work part time as a physical therapy instructor. I can tell right now you’ll be able to walk again, something most of my patients will never come close to being capable of.”

V kept his gaze averted, but the tension had seemed to diminish slightly in the cold, bright room.

“You’re saying I should take advantage of this opportunity and be grateful for it.”

“I’m saying, if you don’t want to walk or see or whatever, fine. But if you do, then you need to strengthen your mind first. This self defeatist mentality isn’t going to help you; I saw how heart broken your friends were. They came here every day, switching around their schedules, taking turns keeping watch.”

V smiled. “Jumin...he’s not one to take off work for anything.”

“He’s your friend with the black hair right?”

“Yes. Jaehee is running her own coffee shop now...she must be just as busy getting all that together. Luciel and that girl...they were right there when it happened you know.”

“I did hear…”

“And the young man with the blonde hair….did he seem angry?”

You shook your head. “He was crying the most, along with that other guy with the ponytail. Mr. Kim, you know how they all feel about you. If not for your own sake, maybe think of doing this for them. Nothing would make them happier than to see you okay again.”

“For a medical practitioner, you sure are involved. You seem to know a lot.”

“I...might have heard a few things. By accident. And, I don’t know if you remember me, but-”

“The doctor’s assistant. Yes, I remember your voice; it was soothing.”

“Oh. Well, thank you.”

“Not so much now though; I never met a nurse who was so…”

“That’s medical assistant Mr. Kim, thank you.”

He blushed faintly. “Of course, excuse me.”

You sighed. “No, it’s fine. Let me go get you something for breakfast and then I’ll check your vitals before you eat.”

You didn’t take your time coming back, no matter how much you wanted to prolong having to face him again; the only relief was that he couldn’t see your shame and mortification. You had no idea where that attitude had come from; you just couldn’t stand to see him like that.

_“I got in this career to help people, but I can’t help everyone. From now on, no getting involved. What he does is his business, I have nothing to do with it; my job is to make sure he gets out of here relatively healthy, not grill him on his life choices.”_

V was laying in bed, face turned to the floor and eyes seemingly more glazed over than before. You almost got the idea he had fallen asleep sitting up, but once you sat down his tray, his head jerked back up. If you didn’t know any better you would have thought he wasn’t just looking at you, but seeing you.

“I’ve got your food. Before you eat anything, let me take your temperature and your vitals.”

You sat down next to him careful not to disturb his position and took one of his thin wrists; you put your pointer finger on the pulse and counted to fifteen. His heart rate and pulse seemed a bit faster than the norm, but his temperature was fine and you knew once he got a real meal in his stomach, his weight would go back to normal. The physical body really wasn’t as hard to make better as someone might assume despite its fragility.

 _“All his problems are in his mind...but it doesn’t seem like that’s something I can help with. Maybe no_ _one can, not after that woman went missing and all.”_ You served him his food, setting up the tray legs on either side of his waist and adjusting the bed to prop him up. _“There’s only so much one person can take and there’s only so much I can do as his MA…”_

Your heart couldn’t help going out this man who was so handsome and talented and kind in nature; all of these things were going to be hidden away as he sunk farther and farther into his despair. The very idea was just awful the idea of such a person wallowing in misery and regret for the rest of his life.

“Thank you. This is very good.” V spooned the broth into his mouth; solids might be too much for his stomach right off the bat. “I wouldn’t expect hospital soup to be so filling.”

“We’re no five star restaurant, but the food is as nutritious and good as we can make it here. If there’s anything you want off the menu, just call the number on the phone list and give the staff a ring; the menu is printed in big block letters in the pamphlet, right next to directories.”

“It’s quite early. Did you have any breakfast?”

“Not yet, my schedule’s pretty full at the moment.”

“You should eat something. You’re up on your feet for hours aren’t you?” V handed you his bread. “To be honest, I’m not up to eating much more than the broth.”

You blinked a bit in surprise but took the bread from him. “Well thank you….”

“Is everything okay?”

You bit your lip. “Everything’s fine. Is there any concerns you have before I go?”

V put down his spoon. “Are you sure everything’s alright? Take it from a man who needs to focus more with his ears these days. You sound funny; did I do something to make you uncomfortable?”

“Oh no, you didn’t do anything! I…” You hugged the clipboard to your chest. “Mr. Kim, you’re a good person. I wish there was more I could do for you. I’m truly sorry for how rude I must have been before.”

“If there was a way to make it up to me, would you do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a physical therapist you said? I don’t suppose…” V’s hands bunched up in the sheets; he was smiling sheepishly. “Well, I don’t know any physical trainers myself and since you’re a collegue of the doctor...perhaps you would consider taking me on as a patient once I’ve been given permission to leave here?”

You held the clipboard closer hoping he didn’t see the ridiculous smile crossing your face.

**Six Months Later:**

“Jihyun, are you sure you don't want to use your cane today?”

“We’ll only be taking a stroll in the park right? I’m sure I’ll be fine without it.”

You looped your arm in V’s; it was much more dignified to have it look as though he were escorting you through the stone walkways and flower beds near his complex than you letting him lean on you. At this stage, he really didn’t need to do so, but his joints were still stiff and his feet sometimes tripped over nothing occasionally; it was better to be safe than sorry.

Besides, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy his arm in yours.

The healing process really was one part physical training, two parts mental hurdles; during the days, at least for the first couple of months, the two of you focused on strength training, getting used to a wheelchair and the exercise one could perform in it, setting proper pain medication doses, and slowly but surely helping V take his first steps in weeks.

But then at night your phone would ring and you would listen silently to hushed confessions and stories of loss, violence, and a faraway sort of love as warm as the sun that had long ago been tainted with darkness.

Then you got visits from concerned friends; or really, V was visited at your residence as he took up your spare room and made use of your private gym for his exercises. The clinician-client relationship had long since been past professional, so it came as no surprise when V’s group of friends would stop by at nearly all times to either drop off something, see V personally, or to even secretly ask you how his progress was doing. It couldn’t be more clear how much he was loved, even by the somewhat reluctant young man with the dyed hair and bright eyes; he often came to V with anger or resentment as well as pity and guilt in his eyes. At the end of those visits, V seemed particularly weary.

It was after one of those more wall shaking visits, with much tears and yelling, at least on the troubled boy’s part, that V had fell from his chair and into your lap. He didn’t cry, only breathed in and out slowly, shoulders trembling as you pressed a hand to his back as he lamented in utter silence.

But through it all, you had been by his side and you couldn’t say you regretted a second.

“Rika loved this place. She could look at the yellow flowers forever.” V had told her the first time he had moved into his own apartment; it was right beside a park he and his fiance used to come to. At first you were worried how the location might affect his emotional state, but on the contrary, it seemed that V would mention Rika less and less as time went on. He would still speak of her, but then he would also tell you many other things. His childhood, his photography, the places he had gone for his job; he had even brought you some of his work as you had never seen it yourself. His smile was radiant when you complimented it and you took it as a sign he was once again having some semblance of pride in his talents and the life he could bring to a photo. Some days, you would catch him smiling at nothing, seemingly for no real reason at all other than what you presumed was a odd sense of peace he felt with himself.

He was making plans. V wanted to take pictures again; he wanted to continue with his charity work, in honor of Rika’s memory and he was keeping in contact with his friends on that chat group.

“What’s your favorite flower?” V asked as you sat next to him on one of the park benches; you were a bit surprised he wanted to go out so late. The sun was just setting, but then again, V wasn’t one for crowds and any picnic goers or families were packing up and leaving as the stars began to peek out of the darkening sky.

“I guess the white blossoms. They look really pretty right now, like they’re even brighter in the dark.” You said nonchalantly. “Did you send those photo’s to Jaehee’s shop? I wanted to send her that recipe she asked for too, I forgot it last time.”

“I already sent it in with them. She hopes you didn’t mind, she added a twist with hazelnut filling.”

“Oh, that sounds good. All your friends are so talented really...Seven’s fiance just took a position as a coordinator for another charity organization didn’t she? I don’t know how she does it.”

“They’re all following their dreams. I feel so glad. Even Saeran is finding his footing now. I just hope he doesn’t suffer anymore than he already has…”

“Don’t give me those guilty puppy dog eyes. You’re doing everything you can to help him. I mean, he shot you, it’s nice enough you didn’t press charges.” You told him with a laugh. “Besides, I think he’s finding his niche in the group. Maybe he can start a computer game company with Saeyoung. With their smarts and his ideas, they could do anything they wanted to.”

V titled his head back slightly to enjoy the breeze. “And you?”

“What?”

“You talk so much about other people’s talents.”

“I guess I have my own, but there’s nothing I’m all that great at. I can’t run a business or act or hack or anything. I know medicine well enough, but I’m nowhere near the level of some other people.”

“Do you remember how I said Rika was like the sun to me?”

“Yeah.” You looked at his face; his expression wasn’t one of sadness or regret. He just looked contemplative, nostalgic really as he spoke.

“When Rika was herself, she was warm and bright and unwaveringly optimistic. She wanted so badly to help others….even in her worst hours, she thought she was doing what was right for everyone.” V smiled gently. “She was radiant, overwhelmingly so at times; she used this to connect to other people and bring a little more sunshine into the world with her work.”

You waited; it seemed there were days when all V could do was speak softly and slowly like he did now to keep all his guarded emotions from overflowing outside. There were times you wondered if he would ever be able to speak of Rika without tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

“She wasn’t a bad person…”

“I know Jihyun.”

“But you...you’re not like Rika in the slightest.”

You felt your heart sink into your chest. “I never aimed to be.”

“Your light is even more beautiful.”

“What?” You started and turned back to him; he didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed or uncertain. On the contrary, he had said it as plainly as could be.

“It shines the brightest in the dark. It’s not even quite bright...it glows. It’s soft and muted and cooling, like...like a wet rag on your forehead when you get a fever.”

You smiled. “That’s an interesting way to put it...I don’t know about all that though. You make me sound like a saint.” the smile fell slightly. “I’m not so idealistic. Sometimes I’m almost pessimistic, though I guess you could just say I was down to earth. I could never be so-”

“You’re a kind person though; the difference is, you decide to only help on a more small scale. You take it one day at a time, one person at a time. You have no idea….”

“Jihyun?”

“I wished she could have forgotten it. I was selfish...I wanted her to just think of our happiness, to go back to how things used to be. I was never like Rika, wanting to save the world. I could only bother with those closest to me, yet...I failed to even do that.”

“Jihyun, please don’t say that. There’s only so much one person can do and you’ve done so much. I never want you to feel like you have to go it alone; you’re so strong, but you can’t just keep it all inside.” You pleaded softly. “Your own happiness is important.”

“You have no idea….I feel so blessed. I thought I deserved to be kept in darkness for the rest of my life and yet here I am, getting my sight back. I was so blind in every sense of the word. Your light made it possible for me to see again.”

V turned to you, eyes focusing as much as they could on your face as he brought his hand up.

“I can’t wait to see you. I’ve been wanting to photograph you, but I promised to wait until my sight has fully returned. I want to capture you in all your beauty, among these flowers. You’ll shine just as breathtakingly, I’m sure.”

“Jihyun...I don’t know what to say.”

“I’ve found new inspiration in you. I feel like I’ve been blinded by the sun, but now I’ve found the moon. I never thought I could feel this way again.”

The sun had set completely and V’s eyes shone in the dim light like two stars; his gaze was so abnormally focused, you were sure he could see you as clearly as if it was the middle of the day. You actually had to take a few deep breaths as you took a few moments to get your thoughts together.

“I’m really...I’m glad Jihyun. I care a lot about you; I felt so helpless seeing you so…” You couldn’t find a word that didn’t sound downright insulting.

“It’s fine. I know, I must have looked pretty uncool back then. Even now I feel like the world is hanging on a thread. There’s still so much I need to do, things I need to work for.” V held out his hands toward you, fingers cupped slightly for you to hold. “But I also need help to get there. I need you.”

You felt tears come to your eyes as you felt his hands close over yours; V smiled tenderly, leaning in to kiss your forehead. Words really couldn’t describe the kind of happiness you were feeling. This wonderful man had come such a long way and he was looking to you for assurance, he was looking at you, really seeing you, as a pillar of strength and a person to be cherished.

How could you say no?


	7. V Pt. 2

You answered your door, nearly tripping over the shoe mat to unlock it and stop the persistent knocking.

“Okay, okay, keep your shirt on-oh, Jumin!”

“Is this a bad time?” Jumin scanned your attire briefly; your hair was a bit flat on one side from your pillow and your robe was clumsily tied, probably because you were in the middle of brushing your teeth as evidenced by the toothbrush in your hand. It still had a glob on the bristles.

“Sorry, it’s my day off. I usually get up early but…” You ran your hand to fluff up the one side of your hair with a bashful smile. “Do you want to come in? I’m heating up water for tea.”

“Thank you, this won’t take long.” Jumin walked past you with a curt nod, slipping off his shoes and heading straight for your sitting room. He glanced around at the walls with a curious frown. “V’s I presume?”

“Yes, he took this one just a few weeks ago.” You nodded to the photograph hanging just to the right of the window overlooking the park. It was somewhat stylized, like it could have been a painting, but it was a bonafide photo. It captured the moment the sun went down to just a sliver over the horizon; the night sky was overhead and the crescent moon shone a bit of light over the white flowers slowly blooming on the branches. It was the same tree the two of you had sat under that fateful day when you were asked to become a bride.

“It’s lovely.”

Jumin’s curt tone sounded less than pleased, but you smiled anyway, excusing yourself to the kitchen to pour the tea. In truth you saw about as much of him as you saw of V these days, yet over your time with your husband, you never could quite shake the feeling that his best man didn’t approve of the union.

 _“I have the weirdest feeling he may not approve of unions in general….”_ You sighed wryly and snuck a covert glance at the businessman sitting poised on your couch, his legs crossed and checking his watch. _“Geez, if he’s in such a rush, why didn’t he call me earlier to say he was coming over?”_

“These photo’s really are something.”

The remark was clipped yet with a softness to the edge; you turned to him with the cups, one in each hand and steaming with hot tea. Jumin nodded to you cordially and took a sip before setting the cup down.

“They’re different.”

You blew on your tea. “Different? You mean from his older work?”

“Yes. They’re crisper. Brighter. They make a chill run down my spine.”

“Oh. Well, I always thought art was supposed to make people feel something you know?” You smiled lightly.

“They changed after he met you.”

A hardness came more pronounced in Jumin’s voice that made your smile droop. You set down your own drink and looked away; first your husband spends weeks out of contact, off who knows where for his work and now his friend comes over to make you feel that much lower.

“The way you say that sounds like I owe someone an apology.”

Jumin shifted rigidly in his seat.

“Jumin, do you think Jihyun made a mistake when he married me? Every time I see you, it’s as if you can’t stand being in the same room with me. Even at the wedding, it was like you were in a whole other world.”

Jumin didn’t say anything, his lips moving and tightening as if he couldn’t quite find the words; maybe he was trying to find a way to tell you the truth without it being too insulting to V.

“I’m not saying we have to be friends, but you can’t just come into my home and expect me to take you looking down your nose at me for no reason.”

“Perhaps if you let me speak you’d know the reason.” Jumin internally winced at your hurt expression. “That didn’t come out right.”

You frowned. “Then what are you trying to say?”

“If you took a moment to consider my position, maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to judge me.”

“Your position? What are you talking about?”

Jumin’s mouth opened and closed shortly; to your surprise, he stood up and made his way to the picture of the white flowers.

“I’ve waited for a long time to see V take pictures like this. He’s spent a big part of his life atoning for things he had need to feel sorry for; I spent years waiting for the day to come where he could find happiness again and then some strange woman comes and changes things but even now I barely hear from him.”

You blinked as Jumin’s brow furrowed and he pinched his the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh.

“It’s not your fault either. Forgive me if I made it seem that way; I suppose even with all the progress V has made, some things never change.”

“Jumin, I had no idea. I swear, I never told Jihyun to not talk to you or anything.”

“I know.” he sighed once more and slumped down on the couch. “I know. If it wasn’t for you he would be blind and in a wheelchair.”

“I’m sorry for misjudging you. I didn’t understand; I know this has probably been hardest on you, you’ve known him since you were kids.”

Jumin looked up. “How…?”

“Jihyun told me so much about you, you know. I was hoping to talk to you actually; Jumin, I don’t always understand how Jihyun thinks, but I know you’re important to him. Why else would he feel so guilty for having to keep you and the R.F.A at a distance?”

Jumin stared and chuckled dryly. “I see why he married you. You do remind me a bit of Rika. Um, sorry, that didn’t sound right…”

“No, no, I sort of get what you mean.” You took up your mug and sipped. “Sometimes I wonder how much Jihyun remembers of Rika when we’re together; she was such an important part of his life. I feel like there’s this part of him that will always be reserved for her.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Jumin asked bluntly. “You’re not Rika, but that’s why he loves you. Rika was...troubled. You’re good for him. You’re what he needs the most right now, my worries be damned.”

“What are you worried about?”

“There’s something I should have told you before-no, it’s more of a request.”

You gave him your full attention; the idea of doing Jumin a favor wasn’t what made you balk, but the idea there was something you could do for this man who could easily get anything he needed was a little hard to believe. Jumin sat up straight and looked you in the eye.

“Please don’t hurt my friend.”

“Jumin, I love him. I’ve wanted to protect Jihyun since the day I met him.” You blushed faintly. “I swear, hurting him is the last thing I want to do.”

“Thank you.”

The tension in the room had gone from cold to a warm buzz.

“What was the second part?”

“I...wanted to ask you how V is doing. I haven’t heard from in in some time.”

You couldn’t help laugh a bit. “Well, your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t heard from him in about that long.”

Jumin’s head rose sharply. “Are you serious?”

You nodded. “He spends weeks on the move; I think he’s using this time for some soul searching. He does send me photos, but I only get brief postcards. I honestly don’t even know where he is at now.”

“I see. As his wife, I imagine this to be as hard on you as it could be.”

“I miss him, but I think this is something Jihyun needs to do. It’s given me some time to think.”

“About?”

“Us. Me. You know, I’ve always been a bit worried I was a sort of replacement for Rika.” You confessed uneasily. “I know it’s silly, but I wonder how she might have dealt with Jihyun going off like this. Maybe he wishes I would be more firm on him coming home…”

“If V wants to come back, he just should. You shouldn’t have to play mind games; keep in mind, I highly doubt he is thinking that way.” Jumin took a sip of his cold tea. “V can be secretive and guarded, but he would never play with a woman’s feelings.”

“I know. I do hope he comes back soon…”

Jumin checked his watch and frowned. “I must be going. Thank you for the tea.”

You nodded and opened the door as he slipped his shoes back on. “If I get word from him, I’ll make sure to let you know first.”

“That’s appreciated. If you need my assistance, feel free to call.” Jumin handed you a small card with a couple of phone numbers. “This is my business and cell phone number; contact me any time if you need me.”

“Oh thank you.” You took it with some awe.

“It’s the least I can do for my best friends wife.” Jumin spared a half smile, a bit awkward but clearly genuine. “Take care.”

You waved him off and smiled as you closed the door; it gave you a huge amount of relief that Jumin wasn’t after you for stealing his best friend away. You weren’t too surprised that there was a tiny bit of resentment on his part; all this time spent worrying and going out of his way to help V, and you felt like you didn’t really even do that much yourself.

The day was spent in relative peace after Jumin left; you did some minor housework, as there wasn’t much to clean in the small shared space, especially since it was just you a majority of the time. You had to say, you were envious of V’s job at times; you yourself had rarely traveled and his photographs always seemed to capture the most beautiful locations.

“Things are so dull around here. I think I’d even rather be at work at this point.” You sighed to yourself as you stirred curry in the pot to thicken the sauce and then turned up the radio just to make the room seem less vacant; you glanced over at the other counter. The rice was nearly done too, and you saw you had made a bit too much for one person. “Oh well, this tastes great as leftovers too.”

“Could you spare me some?”

“Oh my-Jihyun, you scared me!” You had half a mind to hit him over the head with the spoon. “When the heck did you-?”

“The door was unlocked you know. Besides, I bet you couldn’t hear me over your music.” V turned down the sound and kissed your cheek.

“Oh right...sorry, but I didn’t expect you to be back today. Why didn’t you call, I could have made something special.” You kissed him back and turned down the heat on the rice cooker to stir the fluffy grains.

“I wanted to surprise you. And don’t feel bad, you know I like curry.” V said simply as he began taking plates and spoons out of the cupboard. “How was your day? I missed you.”

You smiled and gave him a warm smile. “It was okay, but I’m bored. I missed you too. Set the table and I’ll bring this over in a second; we can watch Zen on the TV, I heard he’s guest starring on a new talk show today.”

You stirred the curry to consistency and got the oven mitts to carry it to the table; thankfully you weren’t holding the heavy pot at the time, or the sound of dishes crashing to the ground would have made you drop it all over the floor.

“Jihyun!?” You threw off the gloves and raced to the sitting room. “Are you okay? Did you have an accident?”

The hardwood floor was littered with the shattered remains of the plates, the spoons nowhere in sight; you figured they might have fallen and slide under the table. V was hovering over it, staring blankly at the surface where the two mugs sat, the soggy tea bags still in the bottoms of the cups.

“Who...did you have someone over today?”

“Jumin came over. Don’t move, I’ll get the broom-hey!”

V had grabbed your wrist, not too hard to hurt, but his grip was firm.

“Why is his card here?”

The little white card with the clearly printed numbers rested innocently by your unfinished drink.

“Jumin came by to ask about you earlier; he gave me his card to call him if I ever needed anything.” You said calmly. “What’s the matter with you, I need to clean up this mess before someone gets cut!”

“Why is his personal number on it?” V almost seemed to be speaking to himself as he gazed in troubled confusion at the mugs and card. “Is this why you were so scared when I came in? You didn’t want me to see...was he supposed to come over again?”

“No, Jihyun, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“You made extra food.” V said softly. “Were you going to invite him over?”

“No, this is all a big misunderstanding! Jihyun, do you really think I would cheat on you?!” You asked with a mixture of anger and hurt. “I’ve spent this whole time practically just waiting for you to come back!”

V let go of your arm, his own hand falling to his side. “I never meant-”

“I’m getting the broom, just stay there.” You stomped off, face bright red. _“How can he even think of accusing me like this?! Where does he get off, he’s the one going god knows where, for all I know he’s seeing other women-!”_

But that wasn’t true. You knew in your heart V would never even dream of being unfaithful.

 _“Apparently he doesn’t think the same of me if two tea cups and a card is enough to get him thinking this way.”_ You made your way back to the sitting room trying to conceal your anger; you had never felt so betrayed. You could only imagine how Jumin would feel if he heard this.

V was silent as you carefully began sweeping the shards of china into the dustpan; you kept your head down, unwilling to look at him with how upset you were. The atmosphere was so cheerful just a few minutes ago and now you didn’t think you could even speak to your husband without scorn.

“Please say something.”

His soft plea struck you to the core and a bit of your resolve wavered; you let go of the broom, letting it lean onto the couch as you tossed away the mess.

“I just don’t get it. Where is this coming from? Did something else happen?” You ventured calmly as you sat down next to V on the couch; how many more heart to hearts would you have in that room today?

“No, nothing happened. I’m sorry, I jumped to conclusions.” V said, eyes searching your face, silently beseeching you to listen. “I worry sometimes...that you’ll get tired of how I am.”

“What, you’ll think I’ll run off with your best friend? I barely even talk to Jumin. The only reason he even came by today was to ask about you.”

V was taken aback. “I-I don’t know what came over me. Please, can we just forget this happened?”

You sighed; maybe V was just tired from his traveling and work. You knew better than anyone how vulnerable and uncertain he could feel about your relationship now and then; it wasn’t like he had all that great luck in the past with women. Chances are, he was still suffering from the trauma of that and the last confrontation. You pushed back his bangs and kissed his forehead; everyone made mistakes. You could let it slide this once.

“Okay. Come on, let’s have dinner.”

“It looks delicious.” V kissed you happily and the two of you got new plates and served each other curry as you heard him tell stories of everywhere he had gone.

You presumed that was the end of it.


	8. V Pt. 3 Finale

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.” You stepped aside for Jumin to take off his shoes; you noticed he always put them in the exact same corner of the shoe mat every time. “I made some croissants for the tea.”

“Hm…” Jumin’s nostrils widened ever so slightly as he inhaled. “Is that Earl grey?”

“Yep. I bought this new brand of cream to go with it if you’re interested. It has a hint of vanilla.” You told him; you knew by now Jumin didn’t like things too sweet, but you were happy to accommodate him. Still, you suspecting he enjoyed these tea times; your apartment was a bit secluded and the majority of the residents were elderly, so it was a very quiet area to boot.

“These are very flakey.” Jumin commented after sampling one of the croissants. “How long did it take you to make them?”

“Oh. they just come in a dough roll.”

Jumin stared at you inquisitively.

“You open the canister, unroll the dough and pop them in the oven.” You explained. “The dough’s even precut.”

“Huh. Interesting, precut dough….” Jumin sipped his tea thoughtfully; you wanted to ask if he was wondering if they came in cat shapes, but decided it might sound a bit patronizing. Also, he might actually be thinking that. There was only so many times you could hear about cat products.

Not that it was the only thing the two of you spoke about, though some of his ideas were actually pretty creative to say the least; Jumin gave you updates once a week concerning Jaehee’s cafe (business was booming, yet he looked a bit less than pleased) Zen’s career was skyrocketing and he was seeing a nice girl who was his stylist (hopefully he would grow up soon) Yoosung was impressing the board committee at the company with his proposal for a video game branch, and Saeyoung had asked Saeran to be the best man at his wedding (the date was in early June; unfortunately they were only able to book an office space in the space station’s conference room, but they were given a free telescope as a wedding gift).

You talked about V a lot, mostly wondering what he was up to and when he might be back; Jumin would occasionally tell stories about their childhood growing up together. V was one of the few real friends he had ever had; it was through him he had met Rika, the only woman he had ever felt a genuine connection to. He didn’t know about her condition until it was too late.

Jumin may have even loved her; it made you that much sadder that he too had lost someone close to him in this whole disaster, but Jumin was taking it much better than you would have assumed. He knew Rika’s heart belonged to V, whatever her mental state, and he would have never dreamed of disrupting what he thought was their happiness. He would have done anything for his friends, and this trait made you feel all the more open to speaking with him.

Still, as wonderful as Jumin’s company could be and as grateful as you were for a shoulder to lean on, you never stopped missing V; but the distance wasn’t the only factor in your sadness.

Things had changed between you and V; whenever you did hear from him, the letters consisted of questions about what you were doing, where you were, and who you were with. The inquiries seemed innocent enough, but they were consistently in every card. There was barely any mention of what he was doing or even asking you how you were feelings; he didn’t even scrawl an ‘I miss you’ or “With love” half the time.

“Jumin,” you started after a relaxing silence. “I don’t suppose Jihyun has said anything...odd to you recently?”

Jumin shook his head. “I haven’t heard a thing from him in over a month. But that’s a bit odd in and of itself; it’s not like V nowadays to go so long without a word.”

“I’ve heard from him, but-well, he doesn’t say much.”

You never did mention to Jumin about V’s accusation; you didn’t so much think he would get mad or indignant. At this point in their friendship, it might have just been a low blow to an already shaky relationship; you figured it wasn’t something that he even needed to know about. It would just cause more harm than good.

“That’s a shame.”

In Jumin’s language, that mild comment translated roughly as, ‘it’s too bad, he should think more about your needs’. At first you were a bit hesitant to voice any complaints about your marriage, but Jumin was actually pretty objective when it came to the subject; you were certain he would take V’s side and advise you to be more understanding or just bear with it and trust him.

“I don’t know. You know I love Jihyun; all I ever wanted to do was give him all the support and care he deserves, but I feel like...I feel like I can’t count on him. I feel like I’m losing him and I don’t even know why. Jumin, do you think it’s possible he still has feelings for Rika?” You asked softly.

Jumin thought as he drank the rest of his tea. “I wouldn’t say he prefers her memory to the relationship he shares with you presently. As for his demeanor towards you,” he frowned just so slightly in confusion. “I must say, I wouldn’t know.”

“I know. I’m sorry to bother you with this Jumin; I figure you know him best.” You sighed and looked at your uneaten croissant. “You always seem to know a good solution, but I wouldn’t know where to begin with this. Maybe things will get better once he comes back for a bit, but I don’t even know when he’s coming back.”

“Well, until then, we can keep each other company.”

Your eyes flickered up to Jumin’s; he actually looked a bit perturbed at his own words.

“I didn’t-I apologize, that must have sounded odd.” he said promptly.

“I-”

The cell phone ringing in your pocket snapped the two of you out of the tension.

“Jihyun!” You gasped happily, immediately sliding your finger on the answer button. “Hello?”

“Good morning; what are you doing?”

You felt your heart sink slightly. “It’s nice to hear your voice too…”

Jumin was watching you with curiosity. “Is V alright?”

“Who was that?” V’s voice came through the speaker a bit louder. “Dear, is someone else there?”

“That was just Jumin. He asked if you’re doing okay; we both missed you a lot. Are you okay?”

Your mouth fell open as you heard a click.

“Jihyun?!”

“What’s wrong?” Jumin asked sharply.

“He-he hung up on me.” You told him, disbelief written all over your face. “He just hung up on me!”

“Calm down; we know he’s traveling, his connection may just be weak.”

You felt just a tiny bit calmer at Jumin’s reassurances, but that wasn’t saying much; he had to leave for work, but he told you once again to call once you heard from V again. You really wished he could have stayed longer; the rest of the day was spent fretting over dishes and food, flicking channels on the TV and fruitlessly trying to distract yourself online as you agonized whether V had truly meant to hang up on you.

Jumin had a valid point, but all the same, he didn’t hear the note of panic in his best friend’s voice.

_“Maybe I am just overreacting. V just heard and voice and asked who was there; maybe I was just imagining the tone, things have just been so weird since then….”_

You thought of taking a walk through the park to get some air, but seeing the same flowers and sunset you admired with V probably wasn’t the best idea to calm your nerves. But staying inside wasn’t helping either; there really wasn’t anywhere you wanted to go.

And when you heard the front door practically slam open down the hall, you definitely didn’t want to be in the apartment. Your worry was soon overwhelmed by shock as you heard running and in seconds V was standing in the doorway to your bedroom, gasping for breath and hair swept haphazardly.

“Jihyun, what the hell?!”

“Where is he?” V sounded more upset than angry; he ran over to the closet and threw open the door. Seeing no one was there, he nearly ran into the bathroom, ripping off the shower curtain in his attempt to unveil his suspected rival. “He left after I called, didn’t he? Is he just going to come back after I left?”

“Jumin just came over for tea.” You said evenly. “I can’t believe you! You hang up without even letting me get a word in, I barely hear from you and when I do it’s just asking me questions to make sure I’m not cheating!”

V looked visibly hurt. “I-”

“And another thing, if I felt more secure about your trust in me, maybe I wouldn’t need to invite someone else over to talk to! I’ve been waiting for you all this time, I’ve always been there, but I feel like this is an all give and no take deal on my part. It’s not fair!”

You took in a deep breath to calm yourself down as V dropped onto the edge of the bed, looking more lost than you had ever seen him.

“All I am asking for is a little faith and support...like I gave you…”

“I’m such a fool...I keep hurting the people I care about the most.” V held his face in his hands and gripped his hair. “I never even...I never meant to drive you away like this. I don’t want to make you feel like you can’t rely on me.”

“I know Jihyun, I never thought otherwise.” You sat down next to him and put a hand on his back, rubbing circles around his stiff shoulders. “I don’t know what to do now. I need your help.”

“Of course, anything!” V said hurriedly with a weak smile. “I thought of you everyday. Here,” he carefully pulled out a bottle of your favorite soda from his coat. “I was actually on my way home when I got this. I was going to get you those chips, but only Saeyoung really seems to know how to get a hold of them…”

“Thank you.” You took it from him and unscrewed the cap with a grin. “I’m glad you thought of me.” a blush stained your cheeks as you took a big drink. “I never stop thinking about you most of the time…”

“Really?”

“Really.” You nodded and took another drink, the cool fizzy soda was comforting; V used to pick up snacks for the two of you on picnic dates in the park. It was such a sweet memory.

“Hey, how long are you back in town?”  
“As long as you want me.” V replied as he took one of your hands to press the knuckle to his lips.

You set down the soda and scooted over closer; you felt so drained after all this drama.

“I was thinking we could catch up and go on a picnic tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be great all day, just a little...a little windy…”

“Dear?”

“I’m sorry…” You blinked hard. “I feel so tired; I was worried when you hung up, kept myself busy all day…”

“Dear, why don’t we just lie down for a bit? We can talk all you want in the morning, it’s already so late.” V said with a concerned look as he guided your head to the pillows; he even took off your house shoes and tucked you in.

“Thanks...love you…”

You didn’t hear his muted reply as you fell into a fog.

In the future, looking back on the prior events, you could only remember so much.

You remember waking up in an unfamliar room; by the looks of the clean, sparse furniture and small space, it seemed to be a motel room. The bed was stiff and your back felt odd from laying on it for what you assumed was hours. The drug V slipped into your drink had reportedly caused you to be knocked out for nearly twenty four hours.

The sun was setting when he came back into the room with a wheelchair and a big, warm smile on his lips.

“Oh good, I was worried I put too much. Are you in any pain? I think the medicine I gave you should make you numb for another five hours or so.”

Your eyes were still adjusting as you pulled yourself up just far enough to see your bandaged legs; it was a clumsy job, and you could see a little bit of your bruised skin through the wrapping.

“This chair is very good for traveling; it folds up on a dime and it’s easy to use. It’s sort of like the model we picked out for me.” V continued, seemingly unbothered by your horrified stare. “Isn’t it just wonderful? We can travel together anywhere we want and I can be the one to take care of you this time around.”

It dawned on you how skewed V’s mind must have taken your pleas for support and attention; if only you had been more clear. If only you had seen the warning signs, had taken his trauma and condition into more consideration. Then again, if ifs and buts were candies and nuts, your legs wouldn’t be borderline mangled.

“Jihyun…” You whimpered and tried to pull yourself up, but it was no use; your arms were nearly as paralyzed as your legs from the drugs.

“Don’t move dear, you should wait for me; I know my neglect caused you to turn to...to him for help. But everything’s going to be different now. I’ll be doing everything I can to protect you from now on; I’ll never let you down and this way, I can keep a better eye on you too!”

V sat next to your and petted your hair with all the tenderness he had shown on your wedding night.

“You saved me. You’re the moonlight that showed me my way in the darkness. It’s only right I return the favor.”

Perhaps it was V’s unstable mentality that caused him to forget Jumin had long ago installed a GPS tracking system in his cell phone or that he could easily hack into V’s accounts and see which hotel he had just recently booked for two.

Not a half hour later, as you were crying and struggling to comprehend your situation, at least ten officers had busted into the room, apprehending your screaming husband as paramedics took you away in a shrieking ambulance.

He was committed not long after and you were committed to a hospital for physical therapy; in due time, you might be able to walk again as well as you could before, but much like in V’s case, your trauma was indefinitely more mental scars than any bodily damage.

Jumin visited you every day. It was weeks before you could so much as speak, but he would visit anyway, in complete silence, just holding your hand or reading to you in the cold room. To think, it wasn’t long ago you were the one bringing in charts and medicine to such a place, comforting visitors waiting for their loved ones to recuperate. The irony of the whole situation and the factors involved in it’s end didn’t escape either of you.

You had heard V was attempting to deny the divorce papers you had sent to him; it took a year until they came back, ink dry on the paperwork, though you felt no more free of his presence. Jumin had went to see him occasionally, but was only met with curses and the cold shoulder at best; eventually, he stopped going, only checking up to make sure his friend was being treated properly. In V’s mind, it was all Jumin’s fault his marriage had failed; he always did carry a suspicious fondness for his first love and now he was trying to steal you away. What else could he do but try to get you away from such temptation? Being together was the best solution, and by attempting to cripple you, V would be responsible for your care; he would look after you, just as you had so generously and kindly did for him.

After two years, you moved in with Jumin; he would stay up with you on nights you awoke screaming, legs on fire from a sudden spike of pain despite them being healed. When he was busy at work, he would have the other members of the RFA come to check on you, or at the least he would call you periodically. V’s actions had shook them all to the core, but it seemed they were all slowly recuperating and settling back into a sort of normalcy once again; life, no matter how tragic or painful, didn’t stop for anyone after all.

Jumin once asked if you had wanted to see V at least one last time, but you had refused on the grounds the man in that cell was no more than a stranger, a warped shadow of the man who use to pick white blossoms to tuck into your hair as the moon peeked out over the horizon. It was too painful and too pointless a venture to pursue.

But you kept the photos hung in your and Jumin’s now shared home as a reminder of what was lost and what the two of you had gained from the ashes of what felt like an inferno. The storm had passed, but neither of you could forget him; those pictures were like the last remains of the man you used to call your husband and who Jumin called his brother. Sometimes, when Jumin was out on business or you awoke in the middle of the night after another terrifying nightmare of a memory, you would sit and stare at those white petals and remember how he pushed back your hair.

They truly were beautiful.


	9. Unknown Pt. 1

**Author's Note: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR 707's ROUTE. Also, if any of you guys know the quote, you get a kiss from Saeran. ;3**  
  
  
  
You yawned as you swept the tile floor lazily. _“Okay, just a half hour and a few minutes and I can clock out.”_

The door swung open slowly and the bell hanging overhead rang gently.

_“Nevermind.”_

“Hello…”

You turned around with a strained smile. “Hello, excuse me for a moment.” you stowed away your broom behind the counter and stood in front of the register. “Come for a haircut?”

“No...I wanted to dye it.” Saeran looked around at the empty salon; he just noticed there were no customers in the waiting chairs or even at the reclining seats. “Is it too late?”

“No, we don’t close until ten.” You told him. “I can take care of you; could you give me your name?”

“For what?”

“To enter your information in our files; this way we can send you promotional material and coupons for any future visits.”

“It’s Saeran Choi.”

You quickly typed his name in the blank space. “And your email?”

“[unknown@cheritz.com](mailto:unknown@cheritz.com)” Saeran’s voice was so quiet you had to lean in to hear; after you entered the information, you gestured for him to take a seat in the nearest chair. Saeran didn’t look at you as he sat down.

You tried to start a conversation; silent clients were a bit unnerving, but Saeran was just plain eerie. “What color were you interested in?”

“...bright red.”

“Alrighty.” You searched through your cabinet for the right shade. “This shouldn’t take too long, I won’t need to bleach. I see you’ve had your hair dyed before; any reason for a new look?”

“You don’t need to know that.” Saeran shot you a brief look of anger, but in a second it was gone. “I-I apologize. I didn’t mean to-”

“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything. Part of my job is to make conversation,” You said genially as you rolled him over to the sinks. “You don’t have to tell me a thing.”

Saeran frowned and looked down at his lap. “It’s pretty dumb; I guess you could say I missed my natural hair color.”

Early that day he had looked at himself in the mirror and realized something didn’t look right anymore; he explained it to a stricken Saeyoung, who told him your salon was open pretty late. Saeran was oddly adamant about getting it dyed soon, but didn’t know how to do it himself.

“I have to say, this looks pretty cool already. I’m surprised you’d want to change it.” You told him as you made him bend his head down into the sink; Saeran still felt a bit on edge, but the warm water and your gentle fingers rubbing the shampoo into his hair was relaxing.

“It just doesn’t feel right anymore. I dyed it to make a statement, but then I realized it was pointless, along with everything else I seem to do…”

You stopped washing his hair; tears had rolled out from the corners of his eyes and into the bubbly water. Even though you just met him, the sight of his tears went straight to your heart; it was obvious there was a story behind this. _“It is kinda weird how he came in so late; most people would know better than to come in right before closing, but the way he acts, you’d think he’s never been exposed to the outside world before.”_

“I have to go.” Saeran scrambled from the chair, his hair still soaked as he tugged off the cape.

“Have you heard the quote, ‘Talking to your hairdresser is almost like talking to your therapist.’?”

Saeran paused midway with his arms still around his neck and gave you a look that was a mix of anger and confusion.

“Well, basically it means, ‘What happens at the hair salon stays at the hair salon.’” You told him calmly. “I cut people’s hair for a living; there’s usually a story behind every new cut or dye or extensions. I like to listen to people, so I guess this job fits.”

“What are you getting at?” Saeran snapped impatiently.

“I’m saying, you can talk to me if you’d like. Now, you can pretend I’m not even here, but it seems like you got something you want to get off your chest.”

You stayed by the sink; Saeran looked between you and the empty chair. With a look of resignation and shame, he sat down.

“I have a twin. My brother...I thought he betrayed me….I wanted to erase him from my life.” Saeran leaned back as you turned on the sink; he let his eyes fall closed and let the feel of the running water sooth his headache.

“Saeran,” You asked softly. “Would you mind if I asked you something?”

“...no.”

“Does your brother have the same hair color?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel about him now?”

“I’m not sure.” Saeran leaned into your touch. “I just….I realize I was wrong, but so much has happened. I don’t know…” he trailed off and frowned.

“What?”

“I don’t know where to go from here.” Saeran opened his eyes and looked straight up at the ceiling as you rinsed off the shampoo. “This is useless. Dyeing my hair doesn’t mean a thing. It doesn’t take away from the things I said and did…”

“Saeran.”

His mouth gaped slightly as you pushed back his wet bangs; his widened eyes were now trained on you.

“Maybe it seems silly, but little steps make a big difference. I’m guessing you wanting to change your hair color is a way to connect with your roots-so to speak.” You said as you began to gently rub his hair with a towel with a small smile. Saeran couldn’t find it in himself to crack a smile, but his expression wasn’t hostile; you took it as a sign you were allowed to keep talking. “The way we look can be a projection of ourselves; it doesn’t mean we should judge appearances, but the way someone dresses, styles their hair, walks, talks, they can mean something. It’s part of your identity. I think you’re very brave to try to make a change, even if it’s a little step.”

Saeran kept his eyes down as you massaged the red dye into his bleached hair; he was silent as you hummed and thumbed through a magazine while he waited for the dye to set in; from what he could see you were scribbling a note down in it, maybe to remember a certain technique or style, something he realized he had never really paid attention to. The little, mundane actions of others meant nothing to him; only paradise mattered. Saeran winced as another headache was coming on, but it seemed to subside the more he sneaked glances at you, the longer he studied your movements.

As Saeran waited, his scalp was now beginning to just tingle, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the chemicals of the dye or the lingering sensation of your fingers; it wasn’t often people made any sort of physical contact with him, at least not the painful kind.

“I don’t want to get hurt again.”

You looked up from your magazine. “No one does.”

“I don’t want to hurt people again.”

“Not everyone does. It’s really good you don’t.”

Saeran let you rinse and clean his hair off without complaint; he didn’t smile when he saw his reflection, but despite the tears forming in his eyes, it was the closest expression to happy you had seen from him so far.

“You like it?” You asked.

“Thank you.”

 _“I shouldn’t have said what I did...for all I know, she’s getting some sick kick out of this, or she’s only_ _listening to me to make herself look good.”_ Saeran handed you a credit card he borrowed from Saeyoung and you rang it up while passing him a coupon booklet. _“People are selfish and single minded. Why would she even care about my problems? She just cuts hair. What could she want from me?”_

Saeran stood clutching the coupons tightly, unable to meet your eyes; you were going to say goodbye, but you felt there was something more he wanted to tell you. You hoped, at least.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Most people don’t. But if you’d like, you can tell me about it.” You brought out a slip of paper from the folds of the magazine. “This is my number. Call me sometime.”

Saeran bumped into the door frame on his way out; he turned around quickly to see your reaction, but you were pointedly looking to the side. _“So that’s what she was writing...”_

 

  
  


 

Saeyoung looked up attentively as Saeran stood in front of him. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Looks good.” Saeyoung gave his brother a grin before glancing down at his hand. “What’s that?”

“Just coupons.” Saeran sat down on his bed, which was really just the couch; Saeyoung promised when they got the time they would get him a proper bed. “Saeyoung?”

“What’s up?”

“Can I get a new cellphone?”

“Uh, sure.” Saeyoung put down his head phones and paused the computer; not long after the truth had been revealed to Saeran, he had occasional fits of anger where he broke things, usually his own things. It was oddly considerate; or maybe it was due to the self loathing.

Either way, Saeyoung was unable to stop Saeran from smashing his cellphone on the floor after he awoke from his sleep. He later told Saeyoung that he had a nightmare where the phone wouldn’t stop ringing and when the alarm sounded off, he panicked. They had talked for some time and Saeran had insisted on not getting another phone anytime in the near future.

“We can get one tomorrow; I know a guy who gives me pretty good deals.” Saeyoung told Saeran as he let his computer continue running the program.

“Thanks, but I can tell when you want ask me something. Just get it over with.” Saeran said dully; Saeyoung pulled off the tab on his soda can and whirled around in his chair.

“I’m cool with it, but I’m surprised you changed your mind on the phone thing so soon.” Saeyoung finally replied. “Any particular reason why?”

“No!” Saeran replied as he laid on his side and faced away from his twin defiantly. “There’s no reason, stop being so damn nosey!”

Saeyoung nearly toppled off his chair mid spin, not because of his brother’s sudden mood swing, but due to the shock of seeing Saeran turning away his face in an attempt to hide his flushed cheeks.


	10. Unknown Pt. 2 Finale

**Author's Note: EVEN MORE SPOILERS!**   
  
  
  
  


Saeran waited for your response, eyes glued to the ground and hands clasped together as if in prayer. Maybe he was praying, but this time not for someone else’s misery or for the payback he so felt he deserved.

He was praying you would understand him, that you wouldn’t get up from the couch and run out of his brother’s apartment (though Saeyoung had insisted it was just as much his) and disappear from his life forever, that you stay, no matter how disturbed and sickened you were by the real person he was.

_“I’m praying...don’t hate me.”_

“I don’t even know what to say.” You were looking down at the floor, chips and soda long forgotten and strewn about on the coffee table. “Saeran...I love you.”

“But?”

“What? No, no buts!” You told him incredulously. “I mean, I’m just...I don’t know how I could ever make you feel any better about this. I don’t know how anything I could say that would make this any less painful. Saeran, I’m just so sorry….I don’t know what to do.”

“Most people don’t.”

Despite his somber tone, you let out a breathy chuckle. “Yeah, guess so.”

The two of you sat in silence listening to the computer monitors hum and drone softly in the background; you could even hear the fizzing of your half drunk can of soda. You wanted to do something. Reach out and hold his hand or hug him, but you weren’t sure if Saeran would let you; he wasn’t big on physical affection and always seemed to shrink away from your hand.

 _“I guess it makes sense, seeing what he went through.”_ You bowed your head and clenched your fists. _“I thought maybe something really bad must’ve happened, but this? This is way more than I ever imagined.”_

“What are you thinking about?”

“You. You and how the hell I ever thought me listening would be enough to help anything. I’m sorry Saeran...I know you say you’re getting past it, but I wish there was something I could do.”

“Stay here.”

You hastily wiped your eyes with your sleeve and sucked in a breath. “Of course.”

“No, not just today.” Saeran told you. “I meant...I want you to stay here, but not here here; just wherever I am.”

“Of course.” You said with noticeable more enthusiasm.

“I don’t know why, but you being around helps me. Sometimes I still feel the withdrawal symptoms from the drugs, even though I haven’t been given them in months. My head hurts, my chest tightens up, and my mind goes dark...but when I try to picture your face, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” he closed his fists rhythmically as if clenching onto a stress ball. “I think about the last thing we talked about or something you said or the next date we have planned and it goes away. It’s a miracle...”

“I-I don’t know about that.” The back of your neck was burning and you were glad you hadn’t worn your hair up. “Saeran, you’re the miracle. You’ve come so far...you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. If it means anything, I’ll try to do whatever I can to make you as happy as you can be now.”

It was as if a bright light was shining down on him in that moment; his whole body felt like it was on fire, but Saeran didn’t feel scared. He felt warm and whole; it was as if something more precious than anything he had previously believed could have promised him. Not Saeyoung, not his mother, not Rika or V or Mint Eye could ever give him such a beautiful, pure feeling.

“I-I,” Saeran’s hands gripped himself as he shook, fingers clawing at the tattoo on his left shoulder; you looked up and scooted closer as he quivered violently.

“Saeran, what’s wrong? Does your head hurt?” You asked softly. “Do you need me to call Saeyoung?”

“NO!” Saeran tackled you down on the couch before you could so much as look for your phone. “No, no, I’m fine. Stay here until my head stops pounding, it’ll pass even quicker with you here.”

“Okay, just try to relax.” You stayed where you were and refrained from touching him too long as you tried to help him lay down. “Are you sure you don’t want some water or something?”

Saeran shook his head and tugged on your hand. “My head...rub my head.” he gave you the most vulnerably pleading look. “Please, it hurts.”

“Sh, it’s okay, just close your eyes.” You tentatively began to rub circles on his temples, half expecting him to snap out of his stupor and smack your hands away in fear, but it never happened. Saeran rolled closer and wrapped one arm around your waist, bumping his head into your hand. It was reminiscent of a cat rubbing its head into its owner’s leg for attention. You felt your heart squeeze at his peaceful face.

_“I can’t believe it...and all this time, I thought it was just me.”_

The discussion was in fact prompted by Saeran once again rejecting your attempts at affection; you ended up bursting into frustrated tears, begging for him to explain why he was so against you touching him, demanding to know why he seemed to be borderline repulsed by you when the two of you were supposedly dating.

“Saeran, I’m sorry for getting so upset. It must’ve been so hard for you to talk to me about this….I hope at least you can trust me now.” You told him as you stroked back his bangs. “I just want to be closer to you.”

A high pitched giggle made you stop your hand; Saeran’s eyes were open, but they looked oddly blank.

“But, I’m...we shouldn’t be thinking of such things.” Saeran blushed but made no move to pull away. “I love you too, but I don’t...I don’t think I’m worthy. I’m so vile. How can you still love me so?”

The somewhat odd phrasing aside, you were more focused on the deep sorrow clouding Saeran’s bright eyes; only moments after revealing his pain to you and your vow to help him and he was already feeling awful.

“I just do. Who am I to hold your past against you? I love the Saeran in front of me; you’re what really matters.” You tried to assure him as you carefully combed your fingers through his hair.

Saeran almost couldn’t bear your gaze; it practically blinded him and he felt the need to shade his eyes from your brilliant smile. He tried to just focus on the soft pecks on his cheeks and eyes and forehead, tried to bask in the kisses you continued to lavish on him without any fear of rejection.

 _“She’s like an angel….no, silly me.”_ Saeran corrected himself as you beamed down at him. _“My goddess.”_

All this time, he had been so wrong; all his life, it had been other people telling him what he should believe in, what he should feel and do, whether he should be allowed freedom or choice or love; but here you were, and not once did you ask anything more than the truth and him; all you wanted was his happiness and love. For the first time in his life, it was about what he wanted and about what someone else could do for him.

Saeran rose from his position and kneeled at the foot of the couch; he faced you with a completely unguarded smile. “My love...my goddess, I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. I’ve been led astray, but at least we have each other now….may I hold you?”

You blinked at his timid tone. “Saeran...are you feeling okay?”

His face fell. “Goddess, why are you looking at me that way? Did I displease you?”

“No...you just seem a bit off,” You said carefully. “Is this a joke? Why are you calling me that?” you tried to break the tension with a laugh, but Saeran just looked more distressed at your reaction.

“I’m just trying to show you my reverence. Did I make you uncomfortable?” Saeran’s usually somber gaze was fogged over as he frowned. “I’m so sorry, if I ever do anything to make you unhappy you can punish me in anyway you see fit.” Saeran bowed his head. “It’s okay, I know you love me. I’ll try to be obedient; it’s the least I can do after you’ve given me salvation.”

“Saeran, this isn’t funny!” You ground out. “If you’re messing with me, you better stop right now.”

“Goddess, I’m not, please believe me!” Saeran’s voice grew panicked as you glared at him; he bowed lowly and kissed your foot. “I would never-!”

“Stop it!” You screeched and backed up to the other end of the couch. “What’s wrong with you!?”

Saeran looked desolate. “I don’t understand...I thought you loved me?”

You racked your brain for answers. _“Is this one of his episodes? What should I-? I need to call Saeyoung, he’ll know what to do.”_

Before you could so much as raise your hand, Saeran had sent your phone flying into the wall; you screamed and ran for the door.

“Wait!” Saeran leapt after you; the door was locked and asking you something in Arabic when he hugged you from behind and made you fall to the floor with him. “Goddess, you said you’d stay!” Saeran said in an accusing tone. “You made it better, you can’t just take it away anytime you want; am I just a toy to you as well? Are you just going to abandon me too?!”  
  
"Saeran, we need to get your brother, he can help you-” you were cut off by his short laughter.

“My brother? I don’t need him; I don’t need anyone else.” Saeran told you. “Besides, you can’t reach him where he is.”

Your eyes widened at Saeran’s smile. “W-where is he?”

“I was able to take control of the house security system and even hack into all his files from here. I told you, I studied hard to be just as good as him. Better than him.” Saeran said bitterly, but his face glowed once his eyes were back on yours. “He kept telling me it was too soon to get into a relationship, but he was just being selfish. He wanted me to be alone just like him and go through life as a shadow. To reach my salvation, I had to get rid of him, I had to!” he insisted childishly.

“No...no, no, no!” You argued and shook your head.

Saeran nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, yes! He’s gone and nothing will keep me from worshipping you to my heart’s content my goddess. We'll build a paradise of our own, just for us and no one else. Thank you...you've made me so, so, so, so, so  **happy**...”

You sobbed as Saeran grasped the back of your neck and forced your lips to his; he sighed happily and pulled back as you gasped for breath.

“My perfect goddess….let’s go to heaven together….”


	11. Zen Pt. 1

**Zen has entered the chat room**

**Zen:** Hey babe, you up?

 **Zen:** My show ran pretty late, the audience just couldn’t get enough of yours truly~!

 **Zen:** You should really come next time if you get the chance…

 **Zen:** Are you awake? Do you mind if I give you a call? It’d be so good to hear your voice right now.

You kept your eyes closed as the beeps continued softly; your state of mind was foggy and you weren’t even sure if you were still sleeping or not. After a minute of complete silence you found yourself dozing off again.

 **Zen:** Aw, don’t be shy. I was gonna send you a picture of me decked out in my stage costume if you answer quick enough~ ;)

**Jumin Han has entered the chat room**

**Jumin Han:** Bothering people so early in the morning?

 **Jumin Han:** I must admit, I’m surprised you’re even up. Don’t entertainers sleep all day and crawl outside at night?

 **Zen:** I was working until the late hours of morning.

 **Zen:** I doubt you’d understand. And who said you could butt in on me and my lady’s convo?

 **Jumin Han:** You’re not the only member of this chat group.

 **Jumin Han:** Elizabeth 3rd is hissing as I type. She must know of your idiotic presence.

 **Zen:** DON’T EVEN MENTION THAT THING’S NAME HERE.

 **Zen:** My gorgeous face will break out in hives, and then my career will be ruined, all thanks to you and your furball.

 **Jumin Han:** Meow.

 **Zen:** ARRRGH!

You blinked as you looked over the string of conversation with a half smile.

**MC has entered the chat room**

**MC:** Hello Zen. :)

 **MC:** Guys, you shouldn’t fight so early in the morning…

Hyun grinned and his fingers flew over the phone's keyboard pad as he read your response.

 **Zen:** About time! I was worried I’d be stuck chatting with this jerk. :P

 **Jumin Han:** It’s not so much a fight as a one sided squabble. :3

 **MC:** Lol, Jumin it’s so silly when you use cat faces.

 **Jumin Han:** Elizabeth 3rd enjoys them.

The corners of Hyun’s mouth drooped down as you seemed to ignore him.

 **Zen:** Don’t bother with trust fund, he’s not funny, he’s just jealous of my superior looks. He purposely brings up his c-a-t in the hopes I’ll get sick or get a rash from the very mentioning of it. :’(

 **Jumin Han:** Oh spare me.

You rolled your eyes at your boyfriend’s antics; you could clearly see his over dramatic sad face as if he had sent you a photo himself. Hyun was laying on his side, clutching his phone in front of his eyes, the dim light casting shadows and emphasizing his deepening frown.

 _“Does she think that jerk teasing me is funny?”_ Hyun buried his face in a pillow and his pout turned into a sulk the longer he waited for you to say something.

 **MC:** Zen, you know, you’re much more than your looks.

 **Zen:**?

 **MC:** You’re so talented and driven! I wish I could’ve been at your show.

Hyun felt his heart thumping wildly, cheeks flushing brightly at your praise. How silly he was being, of course you didn’t prefer anyone else to him. Jumin was the one who always seemed to interfere with his conversations with you, it’s not like you had asked him to join in or anything.  

 **Jumin Han:** I must get back to work. Some of us have real jobs…

 **Zen:** Have fun all alone with your fussy fleabag!

 **Jumin Han:** Elizabeth 3rd is the most graceful, well groomed creature on the earth and you will address her with respect.

 **Jumin Han:** Goodbye MC, please keep up the good work.

 **Jumin Han:** We know we can count on you.

You smiled softly; Jumin was usually so hard pressed to give out compliments.

 **MC:** Of course, I won’t let you down.

 **Jumin Han:** That’s good to hear.

**Jumin Han has left the chat room.**

**“** Good.” Hyun laughed shortly.

**Private Mode**

**Zen:** Babe, I’m having another show later this week…

 **Zen:** I was thinking you could come to it?

 **MC:** I’m sorry Zen, I still have to prepare for the party this week. I just won’t have any time to go.

Hyun’s hands tightened around his phone.

 **Zen:** I understand…

You sighed and smiled wearily; you could easily tell Hyun was disappointed. He never really hid it anyway; you knew he was trying to make you feel guilty, but what could you do? It was your duty to see that Rika’s parties still carried on effectively. It was a big responsibility and you couldn’t put it in jeopardy.

 **MC:** I’m sorry Hyun.

Despite his irritation, Hyun felt his heart melt as he read that one response. You always made sure to only use his real name is private or in texts. It never failed to make him want to sing, to stand up and shout his love to the whole world; scandals be damned, because you loved him, and what did it matter if he’d never get another acting job, as long as he could see your face in front of his eyes and hear your voice with his own ears every day of his life?

 **MC:** After this next party I’ll make it up to you. We can go wherever you want.

 **Zen:** I want you to come to one of my shows. I want to see you in the audience…

He knew it was a bit selfish to ask; it was him and the others that were counting on you to help coordinate the parties after all, but he still felt slighted. You never really took his side when it came to Jumin and you couldn’t even take one night off of work to see him.

Hyun just wanted you to be there; he remembered how you had told him before one of his shows that you’d be watching the live television broadcast.

He had been so happy, had put everything he had into his performance; people were saying it was his best one yet, unaware he was barely even paying attention to it or really anyone else in the cast.

His heart was bursting out of his chest with every line begging, ‘watch me, watch me, watch me!’, hoping you kept your eyes glued to his face throughout the whole show. He wanted you to listen to his speech of love for the heroine and imagine you in the actresses place while he held her close; it was what he was picturing.

Hyun blushed harder, but this time in shame; it had been completely unprofessional and had sounded so childish, but you had a strange way of making him crave attention. The fact that he had to share it with everyone else made him even more bitter when you said you couldn’t make it to one of his shows.

 **Zen:** That’s not enough to make it up to me…

 **Zen:** There is something else you could do for me, something that would make me even happier~

You read the response carefully; Hyun could change from melancholy to playful in an instant; it made you a bit worried. When the chatting first started, you got the impression Hyun was full of himself, thought he was charming and could be sweet. Over time, you began to read the insecurities in his conversations and mannerisms.

No matter how people praised his performance and skills, it always came back to his looks, as if that was the only thing fans stuck around for. It made Hyun depressed, but you were honored he was coming to you for reassurance. Before you knew it, the two of you were secretly dating.

 _“But what Hyun has to realize is that I care for everyone in R.F.A.”_ You thought as you hesitated typing a message. _“We’re all supposed to work together and get along. I have responsibilities and sometimes they just have to come first.”_

You decided to just go along with it for now; jumping on the offense would just make him upset.

 **MC:** What?

 **Zen:** Whenever Jumin is in the chat room, I want you to log off.

 **MC:** Hyun, I know how you feel about him, but I can’t do that.

 **MC:** Jumin Han is an important member of our team and my friend. I’m not going to cut off ties with him because of a childish feud.

Hyun reread your message over and over. _“She thinks I’m childish? Because another guy is trying to move in and take her attention away, I’m being childish?!”_

 **Zen:** You don’t need to talk to him. Jaehee could send you messages, he usually has her do stuff like that.

 **MC:** Not for R.F.A related jobs. I’m not going to put our fundraising at risk because you can’t let go of a grudge.

 **MC:** I love you Hyun, but you need to stop this. If you can’t get along with Jumin, fine, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the parties.

 **Zen:** But he’s trying to get in the way of us!

 **MC:** That’s crazy.

 **MC:** I need to answer some emails.

 **Zen:** Can I call you later? I need to talk to you.

You brushed some hair from your face and scratched your cheek; this wasn’t going anywhere. Hyun was refusing to see how ridiculous he was being, you doubted a quick phone call between his jobs would do much to assuage him.

 **MC:** I have time to see you tomorrow.

 **MC:** If it’s more convenient, I’ll even come to your place. This is important and I can spare at least a little time. I really think we need to talk about this face to face.

You leaned back on your bed and looked up at the ceiling; you really would have liked spending more time with Hyun, but you couldn’t help think it would never be enough for him.

 **Zen:** Of course babe, I’ll send you the address through a text. I’ll call you later too.

 **Zen:** I know I don’t need to, but I’m sure you’d love to hear my voice, right? ;)

 **MC:** Yes…

Hyun smiled in relief as he typed.

 **Zen** : I love to hear your voice. I’m so excited to finally see you after so long…

 **Zen:** I need to rest for a shoot tonight, but I’ll be thinking of you all day~

**Zen had left the chat room**

**MC has left the chat room**


	12. Zen Pt. 2

**Author's Note: Slight spoilers for Zen's backstory.**  
  
  
  
  
  
The first day they had met in person, Hyun was devastated.

He walked around his temporary suite desperately searching for a new outfit to wear, extra towels to dry off, anything to clean himself up before you arrived.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t planned for your visit; as a matter of fact, he had worked out that morning, went to a salon, bought a new set of clothes (which looked amazing on him, if he did say so himself), and had been all set with a bit of time to spare.

“Come on, there’s gotta be something!” Hyun rifled through his closet; he hadn’t bothered to unpack most of his wardrobe. The majority of his clothes and costumes came from the agencies and the theaters he took jobs at, so he himself rarely needed to bring along many clothes of his own.

He looked at his phone quickly and let out a distressed groan; you were going to be there any minute.

If he had known on his way back to the hotel it would start pouring out of nowhere and a car would accidentally splash him with dirty water as he made the supposedly short trip back to his room, Hyun might’ve had the foresight to get a cab or to have his driver take him back.

As he ran around his room, Hyun paused at the sight of himself in the full length mirror. _“My hair’s a mess, my clothes are soaked, I’m practically covered in grime! This is just great!”_

You already knew what he looked like of course, but Hyun wanted your first impression of him in real life to blow you away. He wanted you to swoon into his arms and stumble over your greeting with red cheeks and fluttering eyelashes. He wanted to blind you with the beauty he was becoming notorious for, probably even more so than his talents.

 _“Yeah…”_ Hyun put a hand to his cheek slowly, as if he didn’t recognize his own face. He found himself staring intently at his own reflection, not in admiration or wonder, but in scrutiny. _“All that matters to people are my looks it seems.”_

Looking at his tangled hair and the streak of muddy water dripping down his face, Hyun’s panic subsided as he felt his confidence being chipped at the longer he stared. He began seeing the flaws; his eyes were too narrow, his hair wasn’t full enough, his lips were too thin and chapped, his skin too pale, his chin too weak, and every other little thing he could find to pick at the longer he gazed at the reflection.

_“I just wanted her to think I look good...is this the real me? Maybe my fans think I look good, but….is this what my mother saw all those years?”_

Hyun jumped at the knocking on his door; he briefly wondered why the buzzer hadn’t sounded, but then he remembered he had instructed the hotel’s guard who you were and when you’d be arriving.

“Hello?”

Hyun shivered; your voice sounded so much different not being heard through a speaker; before he could say anything, the door handle was slowly rotated, and you peeked in shyly.

“Hello?” You asked again, hoping you had the right room; you immediately caught sight of Hyun. “Zen?”

“I...yes.” Hyun slowly approached you, his wet shoes making damp stains in the carpet. His mouth was open slightly. “Hi.”

“Hi.” You smiled briefly before closing the door tight; you turned back to face him and blinked. “Uh, um...you have something on your-” you pointed to your own chin. Hyun snapped out of it and wiped the small trail of drool off with flushed cheeks.

“I’m sorry!” he said quickly; he stood awkwardly, swinging his hands, unsure of what to do with them. This wasn’t at all how he envisioned it and he was getting more embarrassed by the second.

“What happened to you? Did you get caught in the storm?”

“Yeah.”

There was a tense silence; Hyun was looking down at the floor and biting his lip harshly. You stared at him warily; you had no idea why he seemed upset.

“Hyun...are you disappointed?”

“Huh?”

You shrugged your shoulders at his confused look and chuckled. “Am I not what you expected? I know don’t look like a model or anything.”

“No, that’s not it at all!” Hyun said looking more distressed by the minute. “Our meeting is ruined! I look awful and-” he bit his lip harder and you frowned.

“You don’t look awful.” You told him as you came forward; you tried to keep the note of incredulity out of your voice. This had to be a prank of some sort, maybe orchestrated by Seven, or maybe this Zen was an imposter who had gotten word of this meeting. Or maybe the real one had sent a stand in for security reasons.

Hyun shed his jacket and took an already damp towel to his face and just held it there; you came a bit closer and put a hand on one of his shaking shoulders.

“Yes I do.” he said through the cloth. He couldn’t have been more humiliated at what must have been the worst first impression he had ever made. Hyun barely even felt your comforting hand through his rain heavy shirt; he couldn’t bare to look at you in the state he was in.

“You look as beautiful as you do in your selfies.” You assured him gently. “Come on, it’s just a little water; if you want, I can wait while you take a shower or something.”

“Stay here.” Hyun finally uncovered his face. “I wanted to meet you so badly...please, give me another chance.”

“What? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I just….” Hyun struggled to get the words out and let out a weak laugh. “You must think I’m so lame. I always brag about how good looking I am in the chat room, I always act like I’m some big shot and here I am in person and I must look so foolish to you.” he looked down at the towel, still avoiding your eyes. “Maybe I should perform as a clown instead of an actor.”

“Zen, you’ve got to be kidding right?” You said dully. “You’re gorgeous. Having messed up hair and some dirt on your face doesn’t make you any less handsome. And besides, do you think I’d actually come all the way here and risk meeting a potentially dangerous stranger because you were hot?”

“Maybe…”

You rolled your eyes with a light giggle. “No. You’re really sweet Zen and I admire you. I’d like to get to know you more, if you don’t mind me gaping at you in awe every now and then.”

Hyun dared to look at you. “Really? You really think I’m gorgeous?”

“Of course!”

“You think I’m beautiful?”

“Yep.”

“And...you think I’m a good actor too?”

“The best.” You said with a firm nod.

Hyun’s eyes flickered from you to the bed. “I’m just gonna dry off. Wait here?”

“Sure, take your time.” You said and made yourself comfortable on the bouncy mattress. “Wow, this is so nice!”

Hyun cracked a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

 _“That was really weird.”_ You listened as you heard the bathroom sink running. _“It wasn’t like Zen at all. Still, I guess it can be hard if you never know the reason why people like you so much.”_

Regardless, you still felt something nagging at you; you couldn’t fathom why it was so important for Hyun to look nice. Sure, an actor like him needed to keep up his looks, but it was just you he was meeting. You felt a bit sad actually; you thought he was comfortable with you, but maybe you were jumping to conclusions. You had believed he wouldn’t feel the need to keep up his appearances around you.

“Hey.” Hyun smiled and sat next to you on the bed; you gulped. He was only wearing sweatpants.

“Can I ask you something?” he said quietly; you nodded absently, but snapped out of it once you saw how sad he looked. He took a breath and moved over even closer to your side. “Are you attracted to me? The real me? I need to know.” he ran a hand through his loose hair. “I need to know you feel the same way before we continue.”

“I am…” you fought off a blush. “I always thought you were handsome...then we talked more, and you were so charming and sweet. I always look forward to talking to you…”

“Me too!” Hyun said quickly. “Of course, who wouldn’t be excited to hear my lovely voice? You like that too right?”

“I do.” You nodded as he moved in even closer. “You have a beautiful singing voice. Honestly, everything about you is just...wonderful.” you said after a momentary pause.

Hyun laid down and placed his head on your knee. “Everything?”

“Inside and out as far as I can see.” You said softly; he was looking up at you with glistening eyes and you couldn’t tell whether they were shining from emotion or if he was about to shed tears. It made you feel extremely protective over him suddenly, and you threaded fingers through his somewhat damp hair and stroked.

“I’m sorry for kind of freaking out earlier. It’s not you.” Hyun said after a bit of silence. “I-”

You swallowed a lump in your throat as he held your waist tightly, face buried in your hip.

“I’ve never been so close to anyone before. It’s like I was meant to meet you; I need you to love me. I need you to think I’m perfect and beautiful and amazing, cause if you don’t what’s there to keep you from leaving?”

“Zen, I already love you just the way you are. You don’t need to do a bunch of stuff for me. I just want to be with you and get to know you more.” You told him; his arms held you in a iron hold and you could see his muscles firm up from the action. “I can tell you’ve been working out.”

“Yeah?”

You rubbed his head. “Mhm. You’re such a hard worker.”

Hyun’s cheeks glowed pink as he sat up and flexed a bit for you. “I work out every day! I need to train; it takes a lot of stamina and focus for my work.”

You clapped playfully as he made a silly pose; encouraged by your reaction, Hyun smiled broadly.

“Did you hear any of my songs? I can sing for you!” Hyun took your hands gently. “I’ll use my voice to soothe you to sleep every night if you want.”

“You don’t have to do that, you need your sleep too.” You ran your fingers over his palms; you felt so at ease with him. It was like being in a dream with a handsome prince.

“Babe...tell me what you think of me?”

You put a hand on his face. “I think you’re adorable.”

You ran your thumb under his eye. “I think you’re breathtakingly gorgeous. I’ve never seen a man as attractive as you. And whenever I get the chance to see you act, it sucks me in. Your skills are really inspiring.”

He smiled and blushed harder. “More?”

“You’ve always been so kind to me. Ever since I’ve joined the R.F.A, you made me feel so accepted and I feel like I can tell you anything.” You sighed happily at his ecstatic grin. “I’m so happy I met you Zen.”

“My real name is Hyun. Won’t you call me that?” Hyun laughed and pressed his forehead against yours. “Aw, who cares, call me whatever you want….just as long as you also call me yours, alright?”

“You really are too cute!” You hugged him warmly. “Hyun, I love it.”

Hyun nuzzled your neck, wishing he could feel more of your skin against his.

“Then I love it too.”

It was the beginning of a fairy tale you thought would last forever.


	13. Zen Pt. 3 Finale

You stepped inside the hotel suite; it brought back memories, that’s for sure. The only difference between this room and the one where you first met Hyun was the large box on the foot of the bed. It was imprinted with curving, flowing golden letters on the lid. You held up the ruffled dress from the tissue paper inside; it was nice, but you couldn’t help wonder how Hyun knew it would even fit.

“It was nice of him though…” You smiled at your reflection in the mirror as you let the skirt flutter to your knees. You couldn’t deny how considerate Hyun could be; at least when it was also something he wanted.

“Oh honey? I’m home~!” Hyun chuckled and let himself inside; he dumped his bags in the corner and kicked the door shut. “Are you wearing my present?”

“Yeah.” You smiled and held the skirt of the dress at the sides. “Thanks, it’s pretty.”

Hyun smiled vapidly. “Twirl around a bit for me? Yes, just like that! You look like an angel...”

You couldn’t help smiling a bit wider at his glee. “It’s mostly the dress.”

“No, you are an angel. My angel.” Hyun insisted; he picked you up effortlessly. “I’m getting even stronger from my work outs. I always end up thinking about you; you like my muscles still right? I’m not too thin or too bulky?”

“No,” You kissed his cheek. “You’re perfect, as always.”

“Let’s take a nap together.” Hyun laid you down on the bed and tucked you in along with himself. “I miss just holding you. Phone calls and selfies don’t even come close to how happy it makes me being with you…”

“Hyun, we need to talk remember?”

Hyun laughed. “Come on, let’s not spoil our reunion. Let me just hold you for a bit?”

You frowned and sat up. “No. We need to talk.”

His smile faltered. “About what?”

“Jumin.” You said impatiently. “Hyun, I don’t understand where this hostility for him is coming from. I mean, yeah, I know you guys never really got along...but to tell me to ignore him all together?”

“But babe, it’s not a big deal. Jumin is such a douche, why do you even want to associate with that guy?” Hyun smiled carelessly. “He’s a stuck up pain in the ass who only cares about making money. Why would you even want to talk to him?”

“Jumin isn’t all bad.” You protested. “I know he comes off as uncompromising, but he’s not a bad guy. And besides that, what did you mean he was trying to come between us? He’s never hit on me or anything.”

“He’s always interrupting our conversations in the chat room!” Hyun held you by the shoulders. “He’s always trash talking me and making fun of me to make himself look better in front of you. He thinks you’ll buy into his wealthy business man thing and leave me!”

You shook your head. “Come on, you don’t actually believe that do you?”

“It's true! And it’s not just him!” Hyun said; he was looking into your eyes with a crazed energy, desperately wishing you would just get it so the two of you could go back to snuggling.

“What does that mean?”

“Jaehee keeps trying to make you think you’re bad for my career, Yoosung is always acting like you’re his big sister or a replacement for Rika, and Seven…” Hyun grit his teeth. “He’s always shamelessly flirting with you...it couldn’t be more obvious. He's almost as bad as that jerk Jumin!”

“Hyun, calm down.” You told him evenly. “Seven just likes to joke around, you know that. Yoosung misses Rika, and I personally feel fine with him looking up to me if it’s helping him get past her death. And Jaehee? She your biggest fan, she just doesn’t want a scandal to ruin your career; she’s looking out for you, that’s all-”

“They all keep butting in!” Hyun slapped his hand down on one of the pillows. “It’s like everyone is conspiring to keep us apart...they don’t care about you, they just see you as Rika’s replacement. They want you to work yourself to the bone and have no time for me!”

You felt your heart sink. “That’s not true…I consider everyone in the R.F.A. to be a friend.”

“You love me though, so why aren’t you taking my side?! Don’t you want us to be together?”

“Of course, but what you’re saying is just crazy. Hyun, I don’t get what-”

“You have to pay attention to me.” Hyun cut you off, his voice wavering. “I feel like we keep drifting apart. Is it because of my work? I try to make time for you babe, but if my job is getting in the way, do you want me to quit?”

“No!” You gasped.

“Okay, I can understand why you wouldn’t want my glorious self to stop providing quality entertainment.” Hyun smiled and hugged you around the shoulders. “I guess I did the right thing then. I hope you won't get bored while we're on the road together...”

“What?”

“I know this is going to be a sudden change, but your things are already being taken here from Rika’s apartment. It should be ashes by now.” Hyun smiled innocently. “I decided to quit the R.F.A. We’ll never be bothered with it or any of them anymore. It’ll just be the two of us.”

“You-what the hell did you do?!?”

Hyun frowned at your fearful stare. “Well, the driver who picked you up planted a bomb in the base of the building. Everything having to do with the R.F.A. is gone now; but don’t worry I made sure after he sent another guy to get all your things before. It was hard to find them, and it wasn't cheap...but it's worth it to escape with you.”

You looked at him vacantly as he smoothed back your hair.

“You’re so pretty….prettier than any model. You make me feel so good too. I can’t afford to let you get distracted by anyone or anything else.” Hyun stroked your face with a reverent gaze. “From now on, just think of me. Look only at me, and only share your life with me. I’m sorry to have to cause you distress, but I can’t help it. I just want to be your everything.”

You would never talk to your friends again. You would never host another party. You would never see the place that had become your home. It was all gone.

“I’ll still have to work, but now you can go with me! We’ll never be apart again.” Hyun kissed the top of your head and wiped away your tears. “I’ll never be lonely again and it’s all thanks to you my angel. Let’s just be happy from now on, okay?”

He laid you down slowly, ignoring your catatonic state as he hummed a few notes of one of his songs.

“Babe, tell me you think I’m perfect? It always sounds so good to hear it from you.”

“....”

“Have I rendered you speechless my love?” Hyun chuckled lowly and kissed your temple, undeterred by your lack of response. “Tell me you love me?”

“.....”

Tears dripped into your hair. “Tell-tell me you think I’m beautiful again?”

“..........”

“Please?”


End file.
